Reevaluating the Health-Related Quality of Life Impact and the Economic Burden of Urgency Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

Context Overactive bladder (OAB) is a prevalent condition that has a significant negative impact on almost all aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Urgency is the core symptom experienced by all patients who have OAB, either with or without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). Objective To describe the assessment and impact of UUI on patients’ HRQoL. Evidence acquisition A nonsystematic review of the literature including PubMed and congress abstracts was performed in 2010. Evidence synthesis Urodynamic measures are not necessarily predictive of the impact of OAB symptoms on the individual patient. Thus the use of validated, disease-specific instruments to assess patient-reported outcomes such as symptom bother, HRQoL, treatment satisfaction, and symptom frequency and severity has become standard in the diagnosis and treatment of OAB. Use of these measures in clinical research has shown that OAB with UUI has a greater impact on HRQoL than OAB without UUI, and reduction of UUI episodes is an important goal for patients with OAB with UUI. The impact of UUI on HRQoL is also greater than that of stress urinary incontinence or other types of urinary incontinence. Furthermore, UUI episodes contribute substantially to the personal and societal cost burden of OAB. Conclusions Effective treatment of OAB symptoms, focussing on UUI, is essential to improve patient HRQoL and to minimise the costs associated with this condition.