The validation of the Dutch SF-Qualiveen, a questionnaire on urinary-specific quality of life, in spinal cord injury patients

Arabic version of the SF-Qualiveen: cross-cultural adaptation, translation, and validation of urinary disorder-specific instruments in patients with spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND

The Short-Form Qualiveen (SF-Qualiveen) questionnaire assesses the effect of bladder and urinary symptoms on patients' quality of life (QoL) with urological impairment caused by neurological diseases. There is no validated SF-Qualiveen questionnaire in Arabic, so this study aims to provide a translated and validated version of the SF-Qualiveen questionnaire among Arabic patients experiencing spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODS

Psychometric features such as content and construct validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency were analyzed. Construct validity was evaluated by contrasting the SF-Qualiveen with the Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score Short-Form (NBSS-SF) questionnaire. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha, whereas the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was employed to assess the test-retest reliability. Factorial validity was established by principal component analysis (PCA).

RESULTS

The internal consistency of the total SF-Qualiveen and the domains "Bother with limitations," "Fear," "Feeling," and "Frequency of limitations" showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of > 0.7). ICC was 0.90 for the total score, 0.83 for the bother with limitations, 0.80 for fears, 0.84 for feeling, and 0.81 for frequency of limitations. The correlation analysis revealed a positive association between the total scores on the NBSS-SF and the domains of the SF-Qualiveen, comprising bother with limitations (r = 0.53, p = 0.02), fears (r = 0.44, p = 0.03), feelings (r = 0.49, p = 0.04), and frequency of limitations (r = 0.46, p = 0.02). The best-fit four-factor model for confirming overall item communalities ranged from 0.552 to 0.814, which indicates moderate to high communalities, and confirms the homogeneity of the SF-Qualiveen using PCA.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this validation study revealed that the SF-Qualiveen is a reliable and valid instrument appropriate for Arabic-speaking patients with SCI in both research and clinical practices.

Single use versus reusable catheters in intermittent catheterisation for treatment of urinary retention: a protocol for a multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial (COMPaRE)

INTRODUCTION

Chronic urinary retention is a common lower urinary tract disorder, mostly neurogenic or idiopathic in origin. The preferred treatment is clean intermittent urinary self-catheterisation (CISC) four to six times a day. In most European countries, virtually all patients use single use catheters, which is in contrast to several countries where the use of reusable catheters is more common. The available literature on the use of reusable catheters is conflicting and until now, no randomised controlled trial with sufficient power has been performed to investigate if reusable catheters for CISC is as safe as single use catheters.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We described this protocol for a prospective, randomised controlled non-inferiority trial to investigate if the use of reusable catheters is as safe as single use catheters for CISC patients, measured by symptomatic urinary tract infections (sUTIs). Secondary objectives are adverse events due to a sUTI, urethral damage, stone formation, quality of life and patient satisfaction. A cost-effectiveness analysis will also be performed. 456 Participants will be randomised into two groups stratified for age, gender, menopausal status and (non-)neurogenic underlying disorder. The intervention group will replace the reusable catheter set every 2 weeks for a new set and replace the cleaning solution every 24 hours. The control group continues to use its own catheters. The primary outcome (amount of sUTIs from baseline to 1 year) will be tested for non-inferiority. Categorical outcome measures will be analysed using χ² tests and quantitative outcome variables by t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. Two-sided p values will be calculated.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Erasmus MC (MEC 2019-0134) and will be performed according to the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) checklist for non-inferiority trials. The results of this randomised controlled non-inferiority trial will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be publicly available.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NL8296.

The urinary disorder-specific quality of life in patients after spinal cord injury: Polish translation, adaptation and validation of the Qualiveen and SF-Qualiveen

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort validation study.

OBJECTIVES

In spinal cord injury (SCI), neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction is associated with a reduced quality of life. No specific questionnaire has been translated, culturally adapted, and validated into Polish language to assess urinary disorder-specific quality of life in people after SCI. In this study, we translated, adapted, and validated the Polish versions of the Qualiveen and SF-Qualiveen in individuals with SCI.

SETTING

University Hospital in Krakow, Poland.

METHODS

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Qualiveen and SF-Qualiveen were done using international recommendations and well-established methods. Adult patients with SCI from the Department of Urology at the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland completed the Polish versions of the Qualiveen, SF-Qualiveen, and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) at baseline and 2 weeks later. The ICIQ-SF served as the reference instrument. Validity and reliability were determined.

RESULTS

Polish-speaking patients with SCI (n = 178) were included. Content validity/cross-cultural adaptation of the translated questionnaires was investigated during face-to-face interviews. Construct/criterion validity was assessed, and positive correlations were found between the Qualiveen and ICIQ-SF as well as the SF-Qualiveen and ICIQ-SF. A reliability study revealed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.8) and reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.8) for both adapted questionnaires. We did not identify floor or ceiling effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The Polish versions of the Qualiveen and SF-Qualiveen showed good measurement properties. Polish healthcare providers can now reliably and directly assess the urinary disorder-specific quality of life in individuals after SCI.

The reorganisation of a dedicated neurourology service: An interim review

Objective:

Neuropathic bladder and urinary system pathology, such as incontinence and stone formation, are the most frequently encountered complications of spinal cord injury (SCI) and neurological disease. This study assesses the patient population and current practice at a tertiary UK neurourology service following dedicated clinic restructuring in 2017.

Methods:

A retrospective database was created to assess all patients attending the neurourology clinic over an 8-month period. The database recorded patient demographics, pathologies and subsequent investigations and management. Clinical innovations such as dedicated patient questionnaires and the formation of a dedicated multidisciplinary team, and their subsequent impacts on service improvement, were also assessed.

Results:

A total of 99 patients attended the clinic during the study. The most common pathology was SCI (51.5% (51)). The most common complaints were continence and catheter issues (61.6% (61)). Urinary symptoms such as frequency (15.2% (15)), infection (13.1% (13)) and urinary tract stones (9.1% (9)) accounted for the remainder of presenting complaints. Operative intervention was required in 25.3% (25) of cases.

Conclusion:

Patients with SCI and neurological disease experience a range of urinary symptoms with significant morbidity. Ensuring upper tract integrity, safe bladder management and intervening when necessary to improve quality of life are important concerns for the neurourologist. The redesigning of a dedicated neurourology clinic has permitted the treatment of such patients with a systematic approach ensuring safe bladder monitoring and upper tract surveillance. The introduction of a validated patient-reported symptom score has helped objective monitoring of symptoms before and after specific interventions. Patient concerns regarding sexual function and fertility are increasingly being encountered and addressed in the clinic. Level of evidence: 4

Recommendations for evaluation of neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction after spinal cord injury and/or disease

Objective: To provide an overview of clinical assessments and diagnostic tools, self-report measures (SRMs) and data sets used in neurogenic bladder and bowel (NBB) dysfunction and recommendations for their use with persons with spinal cord injury /disease (SCI/D).Methods: Experts in SCI/D conducted literature reviews, compiled a list of NBB related assessments and measures, reviewed their psychometric properties, discussed their use in SCI/D and issued recommendations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Common Data Elements (CDEs) guidelines.Results: Clinical assessments included 15 objective tests and diagnostic tools for neurogenic bladder and 12 for neurogenic bowel. Following a two-phase evaluation, eight SRMs were selected for final review with the Qualiveen and Short-Form (SF) Qualiveen and the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction Score (NBDS) being recommended as supplemental, highly-recommended due to their strong psychometrics and extensive use in SCI/D. Two datasets and other SRM measures were recommended as supplemental.Conclusion: There is no one single measure that can be used to assess NBB dysfunction across all clinical research studies. Clinical and diagnostic tools are here recommended based on specific medical needs of the person with SCI/D. Following the CDE for SCI studies guidelines, we recommend both the SF-Qualiveen for bladder and the NBDS for bowel as relatively short measures with strong psychometrics. Other measures are also recommended. A combination of assessment tools (objective and subjective) to be used jointly across the spectrum of care seems critical to best capture changes related to NBB and develop better treatments.

An assessment of patient-reported long-term outcomes following surgery for cauda equina syndrome

Background

Data regarding long-term outcomes following surgery for cauda equina syndrome (CES) is scarce. In addition, these studies rely on patient descriptions of the presence or absence of symptoms, with no gradation of severity. This study aimed to assess long-term bladder, bowel, sexual and physical function using validated questionnaires in a CES cohort.

Methods

A pre-existing ethically approved database was used to identify patients who had undergone surgery for CES between August 2013 and November 2014. Patients were contacted over a 1-month period between August and September 2017 and completed validated questionnaires via telephone, assessing bladder (Urinary Symptom Profile), bowel (Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction Score), sexual dysfunction (Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale) and physical function (Physical Component Summary of SF-12 Questionnaire), with scores compared between those presenting with incomplete CES (CES-I) and CES with retention (CES-R). Patients were also asked which of their symptoms currently they would most value treatment for and what healthcare services they had accessed post-operatively.

Results

Forty-six of 77 patients (response rate 72%, inclusion rate 60%) with a mean age of 45 years (21–83) and mean time since admission of 43 months (range 36–60) took part in the follow-up study. The prevalence of bladder dysfunction was 76%, bowel dysfunction 13%, sexual dysfunction 39% and physical dysfunction 48%. Patients presenting with CES-R had significantly worse long-term outcomes in bladder (stream domain), bowel and sexual function in compared to those with CES-I. Pain was chosen as the symptom patients would most value treatment for by 57%, but only 7% reported post-operative pain management referral.

Conclusions

With a mean follow-up time of 43 months, these findings confirm the high prevalence of long-term bladder, sexual and physical dysfunction in CES patients and that a diagnosis of CES-R confers poorer outcomes. This study provides useful, objective data to guide the expectations of patients and clinicians.