Description of the Questionnaire

The ISC-Q is a validated questionnaire designed to assess the experience and quality of life of individuals who use intermittent self-catheterization. It consists of 24 questions divided into four thematic sections: Ease of Use with 8 questions, Convenience with 4 questions, Discreetness with 6 questions, and Psychological Well-being with 6 questions. Responses are given on a five-point Likert scale: Strongly Disagree, Slightly Disagree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Slightly Agree, Strongly Agree.

Data Analysis and Use

The questions are analyzed in groups according to their section, and the average score is calculated in order to evaluate the patient’s level of satisfaction in each domain. Higher scores indicate a better experience and greater acceptance of catheterization. The data can be used for clinical follow-up of patients, for the evaluation of new medical devices, and in research studies concerning quality of life.

Aim

The main aim of the ISC-Q is the systematic evaluation of the patient’s experience with catheter use. It focuses on practicality and ease of use, the ability to carry and dispose of catheters, the psychological impact on daily life, and the strengthening of the patient’s confidence and autonomy.

Calibration

Each question is rated from 1 (negative experience) to 5 (positive experience). Negatively worded questions are reversed during analysis. A total score and sub-scores for each category are calculated, and the final score can be used for comparisons between groups of patients, for evaluating progress over time, and for statistical analysis in clinical studies.

References

The ISC-Q has been published and validated in the international literature: Perrouin-Verbe, B., Mathé, J. F., Egon, G., Leriche, A., Maugars, Y., Mottet, N., … & Amarenco, G. (2012). Intermittent Self-Catheterization Quality of Life (ISC-Q) questionnaire: development and validation of a new tool for intermittent catheterization. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 31(1), 86–91. Chartier-Kastler, E., & Denys, P. (2011). Intermittent catheterization with hydrophilic catheters as a treatment of chronic neurogenic urinary retention. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 30(1), 21–31.