[Italian validation of the English PROM-USS-Q questionnaire in patients undergoing anterior urethroplasty].

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to translate and validate in Italian the condition-specific patient-reported outcome measure for urethral stricture surgery (PROM-USS-Q) and evaluate its psychometric properties to determine whether it was suitable for routine use.

METHODS

We translated the English version; 52 men scheduled for bulbar urethroplasty at our high volume center agreed to self-complete PROM-USS-Q pre-operatively, and between four and six months post-operatively. We undertook an in-depth psychometric assessment of the questionnaire constructs.

RESULTS

There was excellent correlation between change in voiding symptom score and change in Qmax (ρ=0.746) with parallel improvements in EQ-5D visual analogue and time trade-off scores demonstrating criterion validity. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency statistics were similarly robust: intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.90 for the individual voiding questions. Cronbach's alpha was 0.79 for the overall score and ranged between 0.74 and 0.81. These indices exceeded our predefined reliability thresholds for inclusion. Statistically highly significant improvements in construct scores occurred following urethroplasty, demonstrating responsiveness to change.

CONCLUSIONS

The PROM-USS-Q is a practical and robust instrument for assessing voiding symptoms and health-related quality of life following urethral stricture surgery.