Quality of Life Assessment in Men and Women With Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

The literature on assessment of quality of life from 1993 to 2001 was reviewed to evaluate and compare existing measures through their psychometric value and make adequate recommendations on their clinical use and future research. We selected quality of life articles and abstracts from Current Content 1996 to 1997 and MEDLINE 1993 to 1996 for our first report presented at the first consultation on incontinence in Monaco in 1998. This report was then updated up to September 2001 using the same strategy. We made our recommendations based on our clinical and research experience with these tools. Several quality of life generic or disease specific questionnaires have been published for male and female urinary incontinence. However, their psychometric value is far from uniform and for most of them responsiveness is weak or has never been reported. Few quality of life questionnaires are at an advanced enough stage of development to be applied in clinical practice. However, even with these questionnaires more study remains to be done to make them shorter, sometimes even more specific and easier to use in different populations.