You have accessJournal of UrologyBenign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Epidemiology & Evaluation1 Apr 2016MP35-04 THE FLOW QUESTIONNAIRE: DEVELOPING A NOVEL INSTRUMENT TO EVALUATE LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS IN MEN Daniel Heslop, Lisa Sherden, Consuelo Wilkins, Ken Wallston, and Kelvin Moses Daniel HeslopDaniel Heslop More articles by this author , Lisa SherdenLisa Sherden More articles by this author , Consuelo WilkinsConsuelo Wilkins More articles by this author , Ken WallstonKen Wallston More articles by this author , and Kelvin MosesKelvin Moses More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.1596AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUA-SS) is the gold standard instrument used to assess lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) commonly associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, completion of the AUA-SS may be difficult, as it requires adequate literacy and numeracy skills. This study aims to determine community levels of literacy and numeracy and to pilot a novel method of assessing LUTS in men. METHODS A trained researcher recruited 64 men from clinics at Nashville General Hospital, a safety-net county hospital in Nashville, TN. Exclusion criteria included age less than 40 years or greater than 75 years, blindness, non-English speaking, and untreated psychiatric disease. We obtained demographic data and assessed literacy and numeracy using validated tools including: the revised Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM-R), the Schwartz-Woloshin numeracy instrument and the Subjective Numeracy Scale (SNS). Patients were then administered a 4-item questionnaire to assess LUTS covering the following domains; Frequency, Incontinence (Leakage), Nocturia (Overnight voiding), and Weak stream (FLOW). Time to complete the FLOW questionnaire was measured. RESULTS Thirty-seven men (57.8%) had a reading level below the 6th grade. Twenty-two men (34.4%) had low to no numeracy (SNS score <2). The median time to complete the FLOW questionnaire was 18.0 seconds (IQR 15.8-21.0). The mean number of positive responses to the FLOW instrument was 1.7. Sixteen men (25%) reported zero symptoms, while the number of men who reported one, two, three, and four positive responses was sixteen (25%), eleven (17%), twelve (19%), and nine (14%), respectively. A subset of 28 patients was re-administered the FLOW questionnaire two weeks later and there was no significant difference in the mean number of positive responses (1.6). Test-retest reliability was 0.91. Cronbach's alpha, a measure of internal consistency, for the FLOW was 0.67. CONCLUSIONS The majority of men recruited from clinics at a safety-net hospital had low literacy and numeracy scores, yet were able to complete the FLOW instrument with no difficulty. Using the novel FLOW instrument in this pilot group to measure urinary function is rapid and consistent, and represents a promising avenue for further research in assessing LUTS, even in men with limited literacy. © 2016FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 195Issue 4SApril 2016Page: e481 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2016MetricsAuthor Information Daniel Heslop More articles by this author Lisa Sherden More articles by this author Consuelo Wilkins More articles by this author Ken Wallston More articles by this author Kelvin Moses More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...