Female Assessment of Male Erectile dysfunction detection scale (FAME): development and validation.
BACKGROUND
Although erectile dysfunction (ED) affects both members of the couple, no tools exist for the detection of ED by the female partner.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to develop a scale for the detection of ED, as assessed by the female partner.


METHODS
Development and validation of the Female Assessment of Male Erectile dysfunction detection scale (FAME) consisted of five stages: (i) two focus group discussions conducted among female partners of ED sufferers; (ii) item construction; (iii) initial content validation to document face validity and reduce number of items; (iv) final selection of items and investigation of concurrent validity and reliability, sensitivity and specificity of the scale in 83 Spanish-speaking couples; and (v) multicenter study conducted in a group of 106 English-speaking couples. Concurrent validity was assessed using Spearman's rho correlation coefficients between FAME and clinical diagnosis, the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM), and the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-EF). Reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha, and sensitivity and specificity was investigated using clinical diagnosis as the gold standard criterion.


METHODS
Validity, reliability, specificity, and sensitivity of the FAME scale when correlated with SHIM, IIEF-EF, and clinical diagnosis.


RESULTS
Qualitative analysis yielded 44 clues; 21 items demonstrated statistical significance as the best discriminating items using a t-test for independent samples. A final scale of six items was tested for validity, reliability, specificity, and sensitivity. FAME correlated significantly with clinical diagnosis (0.791, P < 0.001), the SHIM (0.788, P < 0.001), and the IIEF-EF (0.777, P < 0.001). Additional support for discriminant validity was obtained with receiver operating characteristics analysis. Cronbach's alpha was 0.941. Sensitivity was 96.1% and specificity 86.0%.


CONCLUSIONS
Accurate detection of ED in men by the female partner is possible. In this study, FAME demonstrated concurrent validity and very good reliability, as well as excellent sensitivity and specificity.
Rubio-Aurioles
Eusebio
E
Asociación Mexicana para la Salud Sexual, AC (AMSSAC), Mexico City, Mexico. eusebio@amssac.org
Sand
Michael
M
Terrein-Roccatti
Nadine
N
Dean
John
J
Longworth
Jan
J
Eardley
Ian
I
Brock
Gerald
G
Lee
Jay
J
de Montis
Iván Arango
IA
Rampazzo-Bonaldo
Claudia
C
D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires