A symptom index for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was developed and validated by a multidisciplinary measurement committee of the American Urological Association (AUA). Validation studies were conducted involving a total of 210 BPH patients and 108 control subjects. The final AUA symptom index includes 7 questions covering frequency, nocturia, weak urinary stream, hesitancy, intermittence, incomplete emptying and urgency. On revalidation, the index was internally consistent (Cronbach's α = 0.86) and the score generated had excellent test-retest reliability (r = 0.92). Scores were highly correlated with subjects' global ratings of the magnitude of their urinary problem (r = 0.65 to 0.72) and powerfully discriminated between BPH and control subjects (receiver operating characteristic area 0.85). Finally, the index was sensitive to change, with preoperative scores decreasing from a mean of 17.6 to 7.1 by 4 weeks after prostatectomy (p <0.001). The AUA symptom index is clinically sensible, reliable, valid and responsive. It is practical for use in practice and for inclusion in research protocols.
The Journal of urology. 2016 Dec 21 [Epub ahead of print]
Michael J Barry, Floyd J Fowler, Michael P O'leary, Reginald C Bruskewitz, H Logan Holtgrewe, Winston K Mebust, Abraham T K Cockett, Measurement Committee of the American Urological Association
Medical Practices Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Survey Research, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Urology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York; Section of Urology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, and the American Urological Association.