Description

The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) is a brief questionnaire designed to assess the severity and impact of urinary incontinence. Developed by the International Consultation on Incontinence, it serves as a reliable tool for evaluating the frequency and impact of urinary incontinence on patients’ daily lives.

Analysis

The ICIQ-UI SF includes the following core questions:

Frequency of Incontinence Episodes: Measures how often urinary incontinence episodes occur.
Severity of Episodes: Assesses how significantly these episodes affect the individual’s daily life.
Impact on Quality of Life: Examines the overall effect of urinary incontinence on the individual’s quality of life, including social and professional aspects.
Responses are given on a 0–5 scale, where higher scores indicate more severe problems. The results are analyzed by summing the total scores and interpreting the level of impact.

Purpose

The primary objectives of the ICIQ-UI SF are:

Assessment of Urinary Incontinence: To provide a fast and accurate method for evaluating the frequency and severity of urinary incontinence episodes.
Guidance for Therapeutic Interventions: To assist in forming a treatment plan based on the condition’s severity and its impact on quality of life.
Monitoring Progress: To track treatment outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions over time.

Scoring

Scoring of the ICIQ-UI SF involves:

Total Score: Calculated by summing the scores from the individual questions. Higher scores reflect greater severity of incontinence.
Indication Breakdown: The results are further analyzed to identify specific patterns regarding the frequency and impact of episodes.

Bibliography

Avery, K., Donovan, J., Peters, T., Shaw, C., & Gottlieb, C. (2006). The International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire: Short Form. The Journal of Urology, 175(3), 1085–1089.
Coyne, K. S., Kvasz, M., & Irwin, D. E. (2012). The impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life in women and men. Urology, 80(3), 568–574.
Bower, W. F., & Sutherland, R. D. (2008). Urinary incontinence in women: A review of the literature and current treatment options. The Journal of Urology, 180(1), 58–66.