Development and pilot testing of the ICIQ-S-UDS – A questionnaire for assessing and auditing the patient satisfaction and value of urodynamics

Urodynamics (UDS) is an investigative procedure used to evaluate bladder symptoms. The International Consultation on Incontinence (ICIQ) Urodynamics-Satisfaction questionnaire, developed in 2004, measured patient satisfaction with UDS. To develop new items assessing the perceived ‘value’ of UDS to the patient and to refine and validate the existing questionnaire items on patient ‘satisfaction’. New items were developed, and the original questionnaire was updated using a modified Delphi process with clinical experts, followed by refinement through patient cognitive interviews. The resulting developmental questionnaire was pilot tested to assess its measurement properties. The final 16-item ICIQ-S-UDS, comprising 11 ‘satisfaction’ items, 5 ‘value’ items and two free-text fields, was developed following feedback from an 11-member expert panel and four rounds of cognitive interviews with 12 patients. In the pilot phase, 98 completed the questionnaire and 57 completed the test-retest administration. Internal consistency was α = 0.69 for the ‘satisfaction’ items and α = 0.63 for the ‘value’ items. Exploratory factor analysis was not conducted due to low response variability and borderline Cronbach’s alpha values. Test-retest reliability for most items demonstrated moderate agreement or higher (kappa, κ≥0.41), although 95% confidence intervals were wide. It can be recommended as a survey tool suitable for auditing and evaluating UDS clinical practice and patient care. However, further evidence from larger and more diverse patient samples are needed to support its use as a robust measurement scale.