The relationship between urinary symptom questionnaires and urodynamic diagnoses: an analysis of two methods of questionnaire administration

Abstract

Objective To assess whether method of administration of a standard urinary symptom questionnaire alters the relationship of symptoms with urodynamic diagnoses. Design Randomised crossover study. Setting Tertiary Urogynaecology Unit, London, UK. Participants One hundred and fourteen women attending a tertiary urogynaecology clinic. Methods Women were randomised to either an initial interview‐assisted questionnaire in the clinic with a follow up postal questionnaire or an initial pre‐outpatient questionnaire followed by an interview‐assisted questionnaire at the clinic visit. Videocystourethrography or saline cystometry was performed at the clinic visit. Main outcome measures Question responses were compared with urodynamic diagnoses. Results With an interview method, only severity of incontinence was significantly associated with detrusor overactivity (U= 593.5, P= 0.012). With self‐completion, severity of nocturia (U= 477, P < 0.05), urgency (U= 395, P= 0.003), urge urinary incontinence (U= 392, P= 0.003), leakage without warning (U= 443, P= 0.035) and incomplete voiding (U= 413, P= 0.01) were significantly associated with detrusor activity. On interview the symptom of stress urinary incontinence (U= 523, P= 0.002) and use of pads (U= 564.5, P= 0.011) were significantly associated with a diagnosis of urodynamic stress incontinence. Severity of stress urinary incontinence (U= 276, P < 0.001), frequency of leakage (U= 348.5, P= 0.004), use of protection (U= 432.5, P < 0.018), nocturnal incontinence (U= 393.5, P= 0.002) and quantity of leakage (U= 441.5, P < 0.05) on self‐completion were strongly associated with diagnosed urodynamic stress incontinence. There was no association between the symptoms of urgency or urge incontinence and the urodynamic stress incontinence. Conclusions Postal questionnaire responses have a better relationship with urodynamics, both for urodynamic stress incontinence and detrusor over activity, than interview‐assisted questionnaire responses. However, no symptom has a high enough specificity and sensitivity to replace urodynamic testing.