You have accessJournal of UrologyUrodynamics/Incontinence/Female Urology: Urodynamics Testing1 Apr 20132275 INTRA-INDIVIDUAL, INTER-OBSERVER AND INTER-OBSERVER RELIABILITY OF UROFLOWFLOWMETRY TESTS IN AGED MEN: A GENERALIZABILITY THEORY APPROACH Ying-Buh Liu, Shang-Jen Chang, and Stephen Shei-Dei Yang Ying-Buh LiuYing-Buh Liu Taipei, Taiwan More articles by this author , Shang-Jen ChangShang-Jen Chang Taipei, Taiwan More articles by this author , and Stephen Shei-Dei YangStephen Shei-Dei Yang Taipei, Taiwan More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.2204AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES To evaluate the intra-individual, inter-observer and inter-observer reliability of uroflowmetry tests in aged men with generalizability theory. METHODS The study was approved by the ethic committee in our hospital. Healthy volunteers with age over 40 years without neurological diseases or other systemic diseases including diabetes or immue dysfunction were enrolled for evaluation of uroflowmetry tests. An uroflowmeter was set up in a quiet, private room where volunteers could void in familiar environment. The volunteers went to the toilet when he had normal desire to void. Every participant received two sets of uroflowmetry and PVR tests (measured with trans-abdominal sonography). The uroflowmetry tests were interpreted by four urologists independently for two times with 2 weeks apart. Uroflowmetery curves are classified as bell-shaped, obstructive, restrictive, staccato, interrupted and tower-shaped and scored from 1 (absolutely abnormal) to 5 (normal). The agreement between observers, interpretations and tests within individuals were analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficients. Generalizibility theory with decision analysis was applied to analyze the intra-individual, inter-observer, and intra-observer reliability. RESULTS Of 108 volunteers, we randomly selected the results of uroflowmetry from 25 partipants for evaluation of reliability. Mean age of the studied children was 55.3 years. The intra-individual and intra-observer reliability on uroflometry tests were both good (ICC = 0.82 and 0.78, respectively). However, the inter-observer reliability was fair (ICC = 0.53) In decision study of generalizability theory (table), the reliability was 0.55 if we have only one observer, one observation and one tests. If we increase the number of observers, observations or times of tests, the reliability would increase. CONCLUSIONS The intra-individual and intra-observer reliability on uroflometry tests were good while the inter-observer reliability were relatively poor. To improve the inter-observer reliability, the definition of uroflowmetry should be more clarified by International Continence Society in addition to education of observers. No. of observers No. of observations Times of Tests Reliability 1 1 1 0.55 1 1 2 0.60 1 1 3 0.62 1 2 1 0.61 1 2 2 0.67 1 2 3 0.69 2 1 1 0.68 2 1 2 0.74 2 1 3 0.76 2 2 1 0.73 2 2 2 0.78 2 2 3 0.80 © 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 189Issue 4SApril 2013Page: e933 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Ying-Buh Liu Taipei, Taiwan More articles by this author Shang-Jen Chang Taipei, Taiwan More articles by this author Stephen Shei-Dei Yang Taipei, Taiwan More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...