Outcome measure for stress urinary incontinence treatment (OMIT): results of two society of urodynamics and female urology (SUFU) surveys.
BACKGROUND
To reach some agreement on a minimum set of outcomes measures (OMs) for the post-operative evaluation of stress incontinent women, we applied the concept of "lower common denominator" to study which OM instruments are used amongst SUFU members.


METHODS
With SUFU approval, a short online, 11 items, email-based survey was prepared to assess what OMs current SUFU members are using in daily practice. The first survey administered after the annual SUFU meeting targeted recent SUFU meeting attendees. The same survey was redistributed later on to include all SUFU members.


RESULTS
Each survey ran for a 10-day period. Response rate for the first survey was 50 (approximately 30%) and 106 (approximately 25%) for the second. Responders were geographically well distributed, had been in practice for 1-15 years (approximately 75%), performed 5-15 cases/month, and practiced in a university (56%) or group (30%) setting. Great consistency was noted between surveys for preferred questionnaires [UDI-6 (40-52%), UDI-6, and IIQ-7 (30-34%)], office tests [urinalysis and post-void residual (30-35%)], exam [Baden-Walker and/or POP-Q (38-55%), cough stress test (54-51%)], imaging (none), and urodynamics (none, unless complications). The most common "dislikes" in descending order were: 24 hr pad test, Q-tip test, bladder diary, long questionnaires, POP-Q.


CONCLUSIONS
These two SUFU surveys did not explore what each physician thinks is the best OM but what members use regularly in their practices. Similar findings were noted in both surveys, supporting the concept that a minimum set of OM could be developed for reporting surgical outcomes of incontinence procedures in the future.
Zimmern
Philippe
P
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9110, USA. philippe.zimmern@utsouthwestern.edu
Kobashi
Kathleen
K
Lemack
Gary
G
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000601:surgery*; D014563:Urodynamics