MP15-17 VARIATION IN PATIENT REPORTED AMERICAN UROLOGIC ASSOCIATION SYMPTOM INDEX SCORES: WHAT REPRESENTS A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE?

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Quality of Life1 Apr 2014MP15-17 VARIATION IN PATIENT REPORTED AMERICAN UROLOGIC ASSOCIATION SYMPTOM INDEX SCORES: WHAT REPRESENTS A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE? Thomas Fuller, Benjamin Ristau, and Ronald Benoit Thomas FullerThomas Fuller More articles by this author , Benjamin RistauBenjamin Ristau More articles by this author , and Ronald BenoitRonald Benoit More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.570AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The American Urologic Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) is a commonly used clinical tool for the assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Few studies have precisely characterized the magnitude of change in AUA-SI score required for a patient to perceive a clinical difference in the severity of their LUTS. We sought to define the association between a patient’s AUA-SI and their subjective sense of change in LUTS. METHODS Men who had undergone prostate brachytherapy at our institution completed an AUA-SI preoperatively and at postoperative intervals of 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. At the same postoperative intervals, patients were asked whether their lower urinary tract symptoms were much better, slightly better, the same, slightly worse, or much worse when compared to their previous visit. Differences in the patient’s AUA-SI scores were compared to their subjective sense of the change in their LUTS. The median change from baseline and interquartile range (IQR) were calculated. RESULTS A total of 1,438 surveys were completed and included in the analysis. For men who described their symptoms as much worse, the median change in the AUA-SI was +16 and the IQR was +9 to +23. For those who ranked their symptoms as much better, the AUA-SI was -2 and the IQR was -6 to 0. The median change and IQR for patients who ranked their symptoms as slightly worse, the same, and slightly better were calculated. Table 1. CONCLUSIONS Using a large cohort of prostate brachytherapy patients as a model for change in lower urinary tract symptoms over time, a 2-point difference in AUA-SI scores correlated with a clinically apparent change in LUTS. Further, a smaller difference in AUA-SI scores is required to sense an improvement in LUTS relative to that needed to sense worsening LUTS. Finally, by comparing a subjective questionnaire to the more objective AUA-SI, the present study provides additional external validation of the AUA-SI as an appropriate clinical tool for the assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms in urologic patients. © 2014FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 191Issue 4SApril 2014Page: e151-e152 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2014MetricsAuthor Information Thomas Fuller More articles by this author Benjamin Ristau More articles by this author Ronald Benoit More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...