Validation study of a web-based assessment of functional recovery after radical prostatectomy

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Research

Andrew J Vickers¹  Marwan Shouery¹  Ethan M Basch¹  Caroline J Savage¹  Peter T Scardino²  James A Eastham² 

[1] Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Outcomes Group Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, 10065, New York, NY, USA;Department of Urology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, 10065, New York, NY, USA;

关键词: Erectile Dysfunction;    Radical Prostatectomy;    Sexual Function;    Erectile Function;    Urinary Function;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7525-8-82

 received in 2010-05-24, accepted in 2010-08-05,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundGood clinical care of prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy depends on careful assessment of post-operative morbidities, yet physicians do not always judge patient symptoms accurately. Logistical problems associated with using paper questionnaire limit their use in the clinic. We have implemented a web-interface ("STAR") for patient-reported outcomes after radical prostatectomy.MethodsWe analyzed data on the first 9 months of clinical implementation to evaluate the validity of the STAR questionnaire to assess functional outcomes following radical prostatectomy. We assessed response rate, internal consistency within domains, and the association between survey responses and known predictors of sexual and urinary function, including age, time from surgery, nerve sparing status and co-morbidities.ResultsOf 1581 men sent an invitation to complete the instrument online, 1235 responded for a response rate of 78%. Cronbach's alpha was 0.84, 0.86 and 0.97 for bowel, urinary and sexual function respectively. All known predictors of sexual and urinary function were significantly associated with survey responses in the hypothesized direction.ConclusionsWe have found that web-based assessment of functional recovery after radical prostatectomy is practical and feasible. The instrument demonstrated excellent psychometric properties, suggested that validity is maintained when questions are transferred from paper to electronic format and when patients give responses that they know will be seen by their doctor and added to their clinic record. As such, our system allows ready implementation of patient-reported outcomes into routine clinical practice.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Vickers et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010