Validating of a Novel Method for Electronically Recording Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Men

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Overactive bladder symptoms (OAB-S) significantly impact quality of life.
• Accurate symptom recording is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Traditional pen and paper micturition charts (MC) have limitations in data capture and adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare a novel electronic micturition chart (EMC) using phone and web technology with traditional pen and paper MC for recording OAB-S.
• To assess patient preference, dropout rates, and data accuracy between EMC and MC.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-nine men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) recorded OAB-S over 3 days using both EMC and MC.
• Data collected included symptom episodes, urgency, micturition events, and quality of life (QoL) measures.
• Patient preference and adherence rates were compared between the two methods.

Main Results:

• EMC showed slightly better adherence, with fewer missed urgency (17% vs 21%) and micturition (8% vs 17%) recordings compared to MC.
• Patient preference was equally split between EMC and MC (50% each).
• A significant correlation between lower OAB-S severity and higher QoL was observed with both methods.

Conclusions:

• The electronic micturition chart (EMC) demonstrated comparable accuracy to traditional MC for OAB-S recording.
• EMC offered equal or improved adherence to study protocols.
• While not significantly preferred, EMC presents a viable digital alternative for symptom tracking.