THE INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS SYMPTOM INDEX AND PROBLEM INDEX

Objectives. To develop 2 brief self-administered indices for measuring lower urinary tract symptoms and their impact in patients with inters titial cystitis (IC). Methods. An initial set of questions was develop ed and evaluated in focus groups. The index was revised, shortened, an d validated with patients diagnosed in 3 large urologic practices with experience in interstitial cystitis (N=45). Controls were recruited f rom a group of healthy volunteers in a gynecology clinic (N=67). Inter nal consistency, construct validity, and test-retest reliability were evaluated. Results. The IC symptom index and the IC problem index meas ure urinary and pain symptoms and assesses how problematic symptoms ar e for patients with interstitial cystitis. Psychometric performance of both instruments is good, with the symptom index demonstrating excell ent ability to discriminate characteristics between patients and contr ols. Conclusion. Both indices should be useful in the evaluation and m anagement of patients with IC and should be particularly useful in cli nical trials of new therapies for this condition, where reliable, vali dated, and reproducible outcome measures are critically important. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.