Development and psychometric validation of the intermittent self-catheterization questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Patient-Reported Outcome Measures
• Quality of Life Assessment

Background:

• Intermittent self-catheterization (ISC) is the standard treatment for chronic urinary retention.
• Current patient-reported outcome measures lack focus on ISC-specific quality of life.
• There is a need for tools to optimize long-term ISC care for patients and healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Intermittent Self-Catheterization Questionnaire (ISC-Q).
• To create a patient-reported outcome measure assessing quality of life specific to ISC.
• To provide a tool for optimizing ISC management and patient well-being.

Main Methods:

• Two-phase study: initial development via interviews and literature review, followed by validation.
• Face and content validity ensured through interviews with UK and French ISC users.
• Psychometric properties (reliability, validity, responsiveness) assessed via online administration to 306 ISC users across UK, France, and Germany.

Main Results:

• The Intermittent Self-Catheterization Questionnaire (ISC-Q) was developed with 24 items across four domains: ease of use, convenience, discreetness, and psychological well-being.
• The ISC-Q demonstrated robust psychometric properties, including excellent internal consistency, adequate test-retest reliability, and good validity.
• The measure proved sensitive to change, with established minimum important difference estimates.

Conclusions:

• The Intermittent Self-Catheterization Questionnaire (ISC-Q) is a valid and reliable tool.
• The ISC-Q effectively evaluates quality of life aspects related to intermittent self-catheterization.
• This validated measure can aid in optimizing long-term ISC care and patient outcomes.