THE AMERICAN-UROLOGICAL-ASSOCIATION SYMPTOM INDEX - DOES MODE OF ADMINISTRATION AFFECT ITS PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES

Purpose: We determine whether self-administration and interviewer admi nistration of the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom index are equivalent. Materials and Methods: The AUA symptom index was admin istered twice to 41 visually impaired or illiterate men, Men who were able were randomized to self-administration first and then interviewer administration (43) or the reverse (40), Results: The scores in each group were reliable. However, because we could not reject a differenti al carryover effect, the nonsignificant test of mode effect in the cro ssover design may have been invalid. At time 1 there was no significan t difference between group mean scores for randomized patients (p = 0. 13),Conclusions: Although the AUA symptom index should be self-adminis tered when possible, interviewer administration appears to be acceptab le.