Evaluation of repeat daily voiding measures in the National Interstitial Cystitis Data Base Study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Clinical Research Methodology

Background:

• Interstitial cystitis (IC) research often requires extensive data collection.
• Frequency volume charts are crucial for assessing IC symptoms.
• Current protocols mandate three consecutive days of data, potentially increasing patient burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the necessity of three consecutive daily frequency volume charts versus a single day for IC research.
• To determine if voiding patterns differ between weekdays and weekends in IC patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of longitudinal frequency volume chart data from 305 women in the National Interstitial Cystitis Data Base Study.
• Application of generalized estimating equation modeling to analyze within- and among-patient variations.
• Assessment of statistical significance for day-to-day and weekday versus weekend voiding patterns.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found between day 1 and subsequent days for nocturnal voiding frequency and nocturia.
• A small, clinically insignificant difference was observed in 24-hour voiding frequency between day 1 and day 3.
• No significant differences in voiding patterns were detected between weekdays and weekends.

Conclusions:

• The requirement for three consecutive frequency volume charts in IC research can likely be reduced to a single day.
• The choice of day for data collection (weekday vs. weekend) does not appear to impact results.