Validation of a 3 day electronic bladder diary as an app for smart-phone

Development of urinary diary mobile application and evaluation in patients with urinary incontinence

OBJECTIVE

To develop a feasible smartphone urinary diary application (UDA), and evaluate reliability and patient acceptability as a collection, calculation, and sharing tool.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We developed the UDA for smartphones, which collects voiding, leakage, fluid intake, and grade of urgency data. A two-way cross-sectional study was conducted with 60 participants, participants split into two groups. Thirty participants completed UDA for 3 days either preceded or followed by a standard paper diary. We assessed the paper app reliability of the UDA with the Kappa variable and internal correlation coefficient (ICC).

RESULTS

29 (96.6%) participants completed the 3-day UDA in the first phase, 92.6% in the second phase, in comparison to 90% and 79.4% in paper form, respectively. Incomplete variable recording was observed at 10.3%-20% in the UDA group in comparison to 33.3%-34.8 % in the PF group. Of the 48 participants who experienced both diaries, 40 (83.3%) preferred the UDA. Paper app correlation was good to very good with ICC ranging from 0.60 to 0.90 for all variables (p < 0.001). Kappa values for incontinence, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and increased frequency were 0.95, 0.94, 0.82 0.87, and 0.54; respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The performance of developed smartphone UDA is comparable with and highly correlated with paper form with most users finding the app feasible. Convergent validity with urinary incontinence and other lower urinary tract dysfunctions is required.

Effects of different treatment frequencies of electromagnetic stimulation for urinary incontinence in women: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Urinary incontinence is highly prevalent in women while pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as the first-line therapy. However, the exact treatment regimen is poorly understood. Also, patients with pelvic floor muscle damage may have decreased muscle proprioception and cannot contract their muscles properly. Other conservative treatments including electromagnetic stimulation are suggested by several guidelines. Thus, the present study aims to compare the effectiveness of electromagnetic stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training as a conjunct treatment for urinary incontinence and different treatment frequencies will be investigated.

METHODS/DESIGN

This is a randomized, controlled clinical trial. We will include 165 patients with urinary incontinence from the outpatient center. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to three groups: the pelvic floor muscle training group (active control group), the low-frequency electromagnetic stimulation group (group 1), and the high-frequency electromagnetic stimulation group (group 2). Both group 1 and group 2 will receive ten sessions of electromagnetic stimulation. Group 1 will be treated twice per week for 5 weeks while group 2 will receive 10 days of continuous treatment. The primary outcome is the change in International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form cores after the ten sessions of the treatment, while the secondary outcomes include a 3-day bladder diary, pelvic floor muscle function, pelvic organ prolapse quantification, and quality of life assessed by SF-12. All the measurements will be assessed at baseline, after the intervention, and after 3 months of follow-up.

DISCUSSION

The present trial is designed to investigate the effects of a conjunct physiotherapy program for urinary incontinence in women. We hypothesize that this strategy is more effective than pelvic floor muscle training alone, and high-frequency electromagnetic stimulation will be superior to the low-frequency magnetic stimulation group.

Correlation Between Mobile-Application Electronic Bowel Diary and Validated Questionnaires in Women with Fecal Incontinence

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Despite growing interest in a mobile-app bowel diary to assess fecal incontinence (FI) symptoms, data are limited regarding the correlation between mobile-app diary and questionnaire-based outcomes. The primary aim is to determine whether percentage reduction in FI episodes (FIEs)/week recorded on a mobile-app diary correlates with changes in scores of validated FI-symptom measures from baseline to 12 weeks in women with FI undergoing percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) versus sham.

METHODS

This is a planned secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial in which women with FI underwent PTNS or sham. FIEs were collected using a mobile-app diary at baseline and after 12 weekly sessions. FI-symptom-validated measures included St. Mark's, Accidental Bowel Leakage Evaluation, FI Severity Index (FISI), Colorectal Anal Distress Inventory, Colorectal Anal Impact Questionnaire, FI Quality of Life, Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), and Patient Global Symptom Control (PGSC) rating. Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ) was computed between %-reduction in FIEs/week and change in questionnaire scores from baseline to 12 weeks. Significance was set at 0.005 to account for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics of 163 women (109 PTNS, 54 sham) include mean age 63.4±11.6, 81% white, body mass index 29.4±6.6 kg/m2, 4% previous FI surgeries, 6.6±5.5 FIEs/week, and St. Mark's score 17.4±2.6. A significant correlation was demonstrated between %-reduction in FIEs/week and all questionnaires (p<0.005). A moderate-strength correlation (|ρ|>0.4) was observed for St. Mark's (ρ=0.48), FISI (ρ=0.46), PGI-I (ρ=0.51), and PGSC (ρ=-0.43).

CONCLUSIONS

In women with FI randomized to PTNS versus sham, a moderate correlation was noted between FIEs measured via mobile-app diary and FI-symptom-validated questionnaire scores.

First-Year Experience of Managing Urology Patients With Home Uroflowmetry: Descriptive Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

Lower urinary tract symptoms affect a large number of people of all ages and sexes. The clinical assessment typically involves a bladder diary and uroflowmetry test. Conventional paper-based diaries are affected by low patient compliance, whereas in-clinic uroflowmetry measurement face challenges such as patient stress and inconvenience factors. Home uroflowmetry and automated bladder diaries are believed to overcome these limitations.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we present our first-year experience of managing urological patients using Minze homeflow, which combines home uroflowmetry and automated bladder diaries. Our objective was 2-fold: first, to provide a description of the reasons for using homeflow and second, to compare the data obtained from homeflow with the data obtained from in-clinic uroflowmetry (hospiflow).

METHODS

A descriptive retrospective analysis was conducted using Minze homeflow between July 2019 and July 2020 at a tertiary university hospital. The device comprises a Bluetooth-connected gravimetric uroflowmeter, a patient smartphone app, and a cloud-based clinician portal. Descriptive statistics, Bland-Altman plots, the McNemar test, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The device was offered to 166 patients, including 91 pediatric and 75 adult patients. In total, 3214 homeflows and 129 hospiflows were recorded. Homeflow proved valuable for diagnosis, particularly in cases where hospiflow was unreliable or unsuccessful, especially in young children. It confirmed or excluded abnormal hospiflow results and provided comprehensive data with multiple measurements taken at various bladder volumes, urge levels, and times of the day. As a result, we found that approximately one-fourth of the patients with abnormal flow curves in the clinic had normal bell-shaped flow curves at home. Furthermore, homeflow offers the advantage of providing an individual's plot of maximum flow rate (Q-max) versus voided volume as well as an average or median result. Our findings revealed that a considerable percentage of patients (22/76, 29% for pediatric patients and 24/50, 48% for adult patients) had a Q-max measurement from hospiflow falling outside the range of homeflow measurements. This discrepancy may be attributed to the unnatural nature of the hospiflow test, resulting in nonrepresentative uroflow curves and an underestimation of Q-max, as confirmed by the Bland-Altman plot analysis. The mean difference for Q-max was -3.1 mL/s (with an upper limit of agreement of 13 mL/s and a lower limit of agreement of -19.2 mL/s), which was statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed rank test: V=2019.5; P<.001). Given its enhanced reliability, homeflow serves as a valuable tool not only for diagnosis but also for follow-up, allowing for the evaluation of treatment effectiveness and home monitoring of postoperative and recurrent interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our first-year experience with Minze homeflow demonstrated its feasibility and usefulness in the diagnosis and follow-up of various patient categories. Homeflow provided more reliable and comprehensive voiding data compared with hospiflow.

Technical Update No. 433: eHealth Solutions for Urinary Incontinence Among Women

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this technical update is to establish the state of the science regarding emerging and novel electronic health (eHealth) and mobile health (mHealth) solutions for urinary incontinence among women.

TARGET POPULATION

Women over 18 years with urinary incontinence.

OPTIONS

Websites and mobile health applications are useful in the conservative care of urinary incontinence. Relevant care providers should be familiar with such tools, particularly those that use motivational principles for behaviour change, which can be used as adjunct tools for urinary incontinence care. Telemedicine is an effect mode to provide services for the conservative care of urinary incontinence.

OUTCOMES

Use of eHealth and mHealth solutions has potentially significant health outcomes for patients, providers, and global health systems. Broader use of telemedicine, in and of itself, could improve care access and reduce costs incurred by patients and the health care system.

BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS

Evidence for the efficacy of eHealth and mHealth technologies and applications for urinary incontinence ranges from weak to strong. However, the research landscape for many of these novel solutions is developing rapidly. Furthermore, these options have minimal or no harm and confer an established cost benefit and care access benefit.

EVIDENCE

The Cochrane Library, Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL databases (from January 2014 to April 2019) were searched to find articles related to conservative care of urinary incontinence in women (over 18 years) and studies on eHealth and mHealth interventions for urinary incontinence. Articles were appraised, and the collective evidence was graded.

VALIDATION METHODS

The authors rated the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. See online Appendix A (Tables A1 for definitions and A2 for interpretations of strong and conditional [weak] recommendations).

INTENDED AUDIENCE

Relevant primary care providers and medical specialists, including physicians, nurses, midwives, and pelvic health physiotherapists.

SUMMARY STATEMENTS

RECOMMENDATIONS.

The association between nocturia, hormonal symptoms and bladder parameters in women: an observational study

OBJECTIVE

Postmenopausal nocturia is poorly understood. This study aimed to identify hormonal and lifestyle factors associated with nocturia and to understand the relative contribution of altered urine production and bladder storage dysfunction in women.

DESIGN, SETTING, POPULATION AND METHODS

Women ≥40 years presenting to public continence services were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. A total of 153 participants completed a hormone status questionnaire, a validated nocturia causality screening tool and a 3-day bladder diary. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models for nocturia severity and bladder diary parameters were computed.

RESULTS

Overall, 91.5% reported nocturia, 55% ≥2 /night. There was a difference of 167.5 ml (P < 0.001) in nocturnal urine volume between women with nocturia ≥2 (median 736 ml) versus less often (517 ml). Significant predictors of self-reported disruptive nocturia were age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.002-1.073) and vitamin D supplementation (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.11-4.91). Nocturnal polyuria was significantly more common with nocturia ≥2 compared with less frequent nocturia (P < 0.002). Exercise for 150 minutes a week was protective for nocturnal polyuria (OR 0.22, P = 0.001). Nocturia index >1.3 was significantly predicted by age (OR 1.07, P < 0.001), regular exercise (OR 0.41, P = 0.036), day flushes (OR 4.00, P = 0.013) and use of vitamin D (OR 2.34, P = 0.043). Maximum voided volumes were significantly lower with nocturia ≥2 versus less often (night: 268 ml versus 350 ml; day: 200 ml versus 290 ml).

CONCLUSIONS

Bothersome nocturia in postmenopausal women is associated with changes to both nocturnal diuresis and bladder storage. Regular physical activity, prolapse reduction and oestrogen replacement may be adjunctive in managing bothersome nocturia in women.

Dysfunctional voiding: update on evaluation and treatment

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review will be covering dysfunctional voiding, its diagnosis, and treatment options. This will focus primarily on dysfunctional voiding rather than all lower urinary tract dysfunction and we will focus on some of the newer findings and progress within this disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

Dysfunctional voiding is the inappropriate sphincter and pelvic floor constriction during voiding in an otherwise neurologically normal child. This has a wide spectrum of symptoms and can lead to a number of complications such as chronic kidney disease and poor quality of life if not appropriately addressed. Dysfunctional voiding is diagnosed with a careful examination and history with further imaging including a renal ultrasound and uroflowmetry to confirm the diagnosis. Urotherapy and biofeedback are the first and second-line treatments respectively and lead to significant improvement or cure in the majority of patients. For refractory patients, additional therapy options include use of α-blockers, botulinum injection, and electroneurostimulation, though the majority of the literature surrounding the use of these therapies consists of small studies with heterogenous causes of voiding dysfunction.

SUMMARY

Dysfunctional voiding is a common urologic complaint that has many excellent options for improving the patient's voiding issues and should be considered in patients with voiding dysfunction.

Pharmacologic management of nocturnal polyuria: a contemporary assessment of efficacy, safety, and progress toward individualized treatment

This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the medical management of nocturnal polyuria, including antidiuretic replacement therapy as well as other emerging modalities, with particular emphasis on areas of active investigation and future research directions. Relative to earlier formulations, the pharmacological profiles of novel desmopressin acetate nasal spray and orally disintegrating tablet formulations appear favorable in optimizing the balance between efficacy and safety. Additionally, several highly selective small-molecule arginine vasopressin 2 receptor agonists are under active development, while appropriately timed short-acting diuretics, pharmacotherapy for hypertension, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and sex hormone replacement therapy are also a focal point of extensive ongoing nocturnal polyuria research. Emerging laboratory technologies now make feasible a sub-stratification of nocturnal polyuria patients into substrate-based phenotypes for individualized treatment. An increasingly refined understanding of the pathogenesis of nocturnal polyuria, and arginine vasopressin dysregulation in particular, has also introduced new opportunities for point-of-care testing in patients with nocturnal polyuria.

Urology apps: overview of current types and use

Introduction

In recent years numerous applications have been developed with different purposes, aimed both at simplifying the lives of doctors and patients also within the urological field.

Material and methods

In January 2020 we conducted a search in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Results

A total of 521 apps were reviewed, an increase of 8 times as compared to the last complete available review of eight years ago. Most of the urological apps are geared towards the patient and provide information and services to improve the understanding and treatment of different diseases. Some of these apps also get the patient directly in touch with healthcare staff allowing for an improvement in doctor-patient communication.

Conclusions

Although the usefulness of many of these tools is undoubted, the problem of scientific validation, content control and privacy are not yet solved.

Performance, acceptability, and validation of a phone application bowel diary

AIMS

To assess performance, acceptability, external validity, and reliability of a phone application electronic bowel diary (PFDN Bowel eDiary).

METHODS

Women reporting refractory accidental bowel leakage (ABL) were enrolled in a randomized, crossover trial evaluating paper versus eDiary documentation of bowel movements (BM) and fecal incontinence episodes (FIE). Events were characterized by the presence or absence of urgency and Bristol stool scale consistency. The eDiary entries were date/time stamped and prompted by twice-daily phone notifications. Women were randomized to complete up to three consecutive 14-day diaries in two sequences. Diary events were compared between formats using the Pearson correlation. System usability scale (SUS) assessed eDiary usability. The eDiary test-retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlations (ICCs).

RESULTS

Paired diary data were available from 60/69 (87%) women 63.8 ± 9.8 years old with mean 13.2 BM per week and 6.5 FIE per week (nearly half with urgency). Among those providing diaries, adherence did not differ by paper or eDiary (93.3% vs. 95.0%). Notifications prompted 29.6% of eDiary entries, improving adherence from 70% to 95%. Paper and eDiaries were moderate to-strongly correlated for BMs per week (r = .61), urgency BMs per week (r = .76), FIE per week (r = .66), urgency FIE per week (r = .72). Test-retest reliability was good (ICC = .81 BMs per week, .79 urgency BMs per week, .74 FIE per week, and .62 urgency FIE per week). The mean SUS score was high, 82.3 ± 17.5 (range, 0-100) with 91.4% rating it easy to use, and 75.9% preferring the eDiary over paper.

CONCLUSION

The PFDN Bowel eDiary correlated well with paper diary was considered easy to use, preferred to paper diaries, had high rates of confirmed real-time diary completion that obviated staff data entry.

Diagnosing Nocturnal Polyuria from a Single Nocturnal Urine Sample

BACKGROUND

Patients with nocturnal polyuria (NP) experience a unique surge in nocturnal diuresis rate during the early hours of sleep.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the diagnostic utility of the volume and osmolality of a single early nocturnal urine sample in detecting NP.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Analysis of 1 am urine samples obtained from two prospective observational studies at Ghent University Hospital involving participants recruited from a urology ambulatory care unit and those who consulted a continence clinic. Nocturic participants (one or more nocturnal void[s]; n=176) were stratified based on the presence (n=87) or absence (n=89) of NP (>90ml/h).

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Receiver operating characteristic curves with Youden's Index were used to determine cutoff values for urine volume and urine osmolality (Uosm).

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Individuals with NP demonstrated higher 1 am volume (400 [interquartile range 300-515] vs 210 [160-300] ml, area under the curve [AUC]=0.843, p< 0.001, cutoff = 350 ml) and lower Uosm (274 [201-348] vs 430 [320-664] mOsm/kg H₂O, AUC=0.774, p<0.001, cutoff=314 mOsm/kg H₂O) than those without NP. In combining cutoffs, the criteria of either 1 am volume ≥350ml or Uosm ≤314 mOsm/kg H₂O were 85% sensitive and 75% specific for NP, while criteria of both 1 am volume ≥350ml and Uosm ≤314 mOsm/kg H₂O were 60% sensitive and 92% specific for NP. Comparable AUC values, sensitivities, and specificities were observed in both men and women. Limitations include post hoc design and a relatively small study sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with NP are more likely than those without NP to produce a higher volume of more dilute urine (ie, "aquaresis") in the early hours of sleep. Analysis of easily measurable parameters of the first nocturnal void (for which 1 am values serve as a surrogate) in men and women with nocturia can predict a diagnosis of NP with a reasonably high degree of sensitivity and specificity.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Urologists often try to understand the specific reason why people wake up to urinate at night by asking them to record the amount of urine they make every time they go to the bathroom (also known as a "voiding diary") during the nighttime as well as the daytime-typically for a total of 1-3 days. In this study, we showed that an analysis of the composition of the urine that people produce when they first wake up to urinate at night might be sufficient to determine whether their symptoms are caused by excessive urine production or something else, and some people might find this urine study easier than keeping a voiding diary.

Smartphone technology and its applications in urology: a review of the literature

PURPOSE

Smartphone technology has propelled the evolution of health-related mobile technology, referred to as mobile health (mHealth). With the rise of smartphone ownership and the growing popularity of health-related smartphone usage, mHealth offers potential benefits for both patients and health care providers. The objective of this review is to assess the current state of smartphone technology in urology.

METHODS

A literature search of PubMed database was conducted to identify articles reporting on smartphone technology in urology. Publications were included if they focused on smartphone mHealth technology pertinent to the field of urology or included an evaluation of urological applications in digital stores.

RESULTS

We identified 50 publications focused on the use of smartphones in urology. Studies were then grouped into the following categories: smartphones employing the built-in camera and light source, applications specific to prostate cancer, urolithiasis, pediatric urology, and as educational tools for urologists. In 23/50 (46%) studies, smartphone technology/intervention was compared to a control group or to standard of care. In this regard, smartphone technology did not demonstrate benefit over standard of care in 13 studies. In contrast, in 10 studies, smartphone interventions were proven beneficial over current practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Smartphone technology is constantly evolving and has the potential to improve urological care and education. Of concern to consumer and urologist alike is that these downloadable programs are limited due to the accuracy of their content, risk of confidentiality breach, and the lack of central regulation and professional involvement in their development.