Comparison of the Fecal Incontinence Severity Scores between Self-administration by Patients and an Oral Interview by a Physician.

OBJECTIVES

To compare patients' self-administered responses to the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI) questionnaire (A1) with their responses to physician's oral interview (A3).

METHODS

Patients (n=100: mean age: 72 years; 66 women) with FI completed the FISI and the modified FISI (with written explanations) questionnaires, followed by a physician interview. To identify a threshold for the rating gap between A1 and A3, we calculated each patient's mean difference in the FISI scores.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the FISI scores between A1 and A3. A rating gap existed in the FISI scores (mean difference=8.9). It occurred in 37% of the patients, making its threshold 9. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age and no history of pelvic floor surgery were independently associated with the presence of a rating gap in the FISI scores. The in-coincidence of ticked boxes to all types of leakage between the self-administered responses and those by physician's oral history was 49% (197/400). Older age was associated with the in-coincidence of a ticked box between the assessment results of gas or solid stool leakage.

CONCLUSIONS

Some non-negligible discrepancy existed between patients' self-administered responses and their responses to physician's oral interview, especially in older patients.