The efficacy of an abbreviated model of the International Prostate Symptom Score in evaluating benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the acceptability to patients in Turkey of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) for evaluating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and to devise a possible abbreviated model, saving time when administered by a physician. PATIENTS AND METHODS The IPSS questionnaire was initially self-administered in 200 consecutive patients aged> 50 years and with lower urinary tract symptoms. Patients were instructed only to mark questions which they clearly understood. The IPSS was then administered to 500 consecutive patients by the same physician. Subsequently, each of the seven questions was separately correlated with the IPSS and quality-of-life (QoL) score. The first five questions with the highest correlation coefficient for both the total IPSS and QoL score were identified, and every possible combination of these questions produced and correlated. RESULTS In the first group, 29% of the patients did not complete the form and 44% could not mark at least one item; the effect of educational level was significant (P < 0.05). In the second group a combination of the first three items had a Pearson's correlation of 0.90 with the total IPSS; similarly, four questions combined (2, 3, 6 and 7) also correlated well (r = 0.92). Both combinations took significantly less time to administer (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The abbreviated form of the IPSS consisting of three or four items may be used to assess symptoms in patients with BPH, especially in underdeveloped countries.