Self-Report Measurement of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Commentary on the Literature Since 2011

Self-report assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is complicated by the many tools that are available. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is widely used and highly recommended in review articles and practice guidelines. This review focuses on work completed since 2011 using the IPSS and other tools. The focus of the review is on the merits and weakness of existing tools, as well as a discussion of how to move the field forward, given that there is already a strong base of questionnaires. Some specific trends in health measurement include the use of item response theory and computer adaptive testing, but it is unclear to what extent they will be adopted within urology. Many current studies in urology are making use of single items to assess important symptoms of interest, such as nocturia and incontinence, so future work might seek to catalogue best-in-class, single-question items.