title: Relationship between patient self-assessment of erectile function and the erectile function domain of the international index of erectile function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the validity of severity classes on the erectile function (EF) domain of the International Index of Erectile Function by determining their relationship with the self-assessment of EF, before and after treatment, in an independent cohort of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred forty-seven men with clinically diagnosed erectile dysfunction (ED) and in a stable heterosexual relationship were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 12-week, flexible-dose study. Patients assessed their degree of ED as severe, moderate, minimal/mild, or no problem at baseline and after treatment. They also responded to the six questions of the EF domain, with the total score indicating the following degrees of ED: severe, EF score 1 to 10; moderate, EF score 11 to 16; mild to moderate, EF score 17 to 21; mild, EF score 22 to 25; and no ED, EF score 26 to 30. Descriptive profiles of the two diagnostic instruments were compared. The correlations between the instruments were evaluated with Kendall's tau-b at baseline, after treatment at 12 weeks, and at change from baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two measures gave generally similar descriptive profiles of ED severity. The correlations were 0. 65 (95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.73) at baseline, 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.89) after 12 weeks of treatment, and 0. 73 (95% confidence interval 0.67 to 0.79) at change from baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The moderate-to-high correlation between the patients' self-assessment of EF and the EF domain of the International Index of Erectile Function provides a validation of this domain for the reliable diagnostic classification of ED severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Research, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Pfizer Inc, Groton, Connecticut 06340-8030, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cappelleri
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Osterloh
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000145:classification* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011687:Purines; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate