Bladder diary for illiterates: A novel method

Bladder diary is an integral part of urologic evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms. One of its limitations is the requirement of a literate patient or attendant to complete it. We propose a novel method for recording bladder diary in illiterate individuals, with the aid of easily available materials from hospital, without any expenditure from the patients.

Forty-nine patients, who were required to fill the bladder diary as a part of their urological assessment, and were either illiterate or not literate enough to complete it themselves, were enrolled and admitted in the urology ward for 1 and a half days. Patients were provided with two 500 mL empty normal saline bottles for collection of each void, and a chart separately for day and night with diagrams of saline bottles to mark the corresponding level of urine. The amount of urine and frequency was also noted simultaneously by nursing staff each time for 24 h. The investigator interpreted the data marked on the charts by the patient and compared it with the data collected by the nursing officers.

No statistically significant difference was found between the data collected by the nursing staff and patient data interpreted by the investigators, which included 24-h urine volume(p = 0.562), nocturnal output (p = 0.941), average voided volume (p = 0.709), maximum voided volume (p = 0.369), fluid intake (p = 0.401), frequency, nocturia and episodes of urgency and incontinence (p = 1).

This method of recording bladder diary is a feasible, genuine, reliable and cost-free method which can be used in illiterates.