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Use of the Dowell Bryant Incontinence Cost Index as a post‐treatment outcome measure after non‐surgical therapy
Author(s) -
Simons A.M.,
Dowell C.J.,
Bryant C.M.,
Prashar S.,
Moore K.H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6777(2001)20:1<85::aid-nau10>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - medicine , urinary incontinence , quality of life (healthcare) , visual analogue scale , distress , genitourinary system , surgery , urology , physical therapy , clinical psychology , nursing
The aim of this study was to use the previously validated Dowell Bryant Incontinence Cost Index (DBICI) as a post‐treatment outcome measure after non‐surgical therapy and to determine whether the magnitude of reduced leakage would correlate with the magnitude of reduced personal cost. A simple urethral occlusive device (Femassist) was employed in 57 women with stress, urge, or mixed incontinence for 1 month. The DBICI was administered at baseline and after device use, along with a visual analogue scale (VAS) for severity of incontinence impact, a 3‐day frequency volume chart (FVC) that documented leaks per 24 hours and pad usage, a 1‐hour ICS pad test at standard volume, and two disease‐pecific quality of life measures (Urogenital Distress Inventory [UDI] and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire [IIQ]). The severity of leakage was significantly reduced on all parameters, and the median personal costs of incontinence fell from AU$6.52 per week (IQR 1.50–10.59) to a median of AU$ 1.57 per week (IQR 0−4.89). A significant correlation (Kendall's rank, tau) was observed between reduction in personal costs and reduction in VAS (tau = 0.24, P = 0.01), leaks/day (tau = 0.20, P = 0.03), pad test loss (tau = 0.29, P = 0.002), and quality of life scores (UDI, tau = 0.23, P = 0.01; IIQ, tau = 0.26, P = 0.005). The personal costs subset of the DBICI appears to be a useful outcome measure for urinary incontinence research and could be widely employed to assess the impact of continence treatments on the patient's economic burden. Neurourol. Urodynam. 20:85–93, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.