THE INTERNATIONAL PROSTATE SYMPTOM SCORE - PHYSICIAN VERSUS SELF-ADMINISTRATION IN THE QUANTIFICATION OF SYMPTOMATOLOGY

Objectives. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), originall y known as the American Urological Association Score, is the most comm only used scoring system for the quantification of benign prostatic hy perplasia symptoms, One area that has remained unexplored is the stabi lity of the questionnaire construct between different modes of adminis tration. The objective of this study was to measure differences in IPS S when administered by the physician versus patient self-administratio n. The impact of order of administration was also examined. Methods. S ixty-four patients completed two IPSS questionnaires during the same o ffice visit, one self-administered and the other by physician intervie w. The influence of order of administration was examined by randomly a llocating patients to either self-administration or physician-administ ration first. Total symptom scores (questions 1 to 7) and quality of l ife scores (question 8) were compared between the two modes of adminis tration. Multivariate analysis of variance was performed to assess the effect of age, medical history (obtained from the IPSS form), order o f administration, and physician (A and B) on the observed differences. Results. The distribution of differences was similar between the two orders of administration. Overall, 26 patients had a higher total scor e with self-administration, 30 with physician-administration, and 8 ha d identical scores on both. Mean total symptom scores and quality of l ife assessments by physician- versus patient-administered questionnair es were similar (10.9 versus 10.4 and 1.8 versus 2.2, respectively). N o statistically significant difference was observed. The order of admi nistration did not show statistical significance (P > 0.05) by multiva riate analysis. As well, no interaction was seen between the aforement ioned variables. Conclusions. There is no difference in the informatio n obtained if patients self-administer the questionnaire as opposed to physician administration.