Assessment of Overactive Bladder Symptoms: Comparison of 3-Day Bladder Diary and the Overactive Bladder Symptoms Score

ObjectivesTo compare the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and a bladder diary as a tool for assessing symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB).MethodsTreatment-naive OAB patients received an antimuscarinic agent, solifenacin. At baseline and 12 weeks after treatment, patients completed a 3-day bladder diary and the OABSS. Relationships between the 2 methods were evaluated by comparison of changes after treatment, agreement between variables and correlation between changes.ResultsIn total, 79 patients (42 male and 37 female, mean age 71.1 years) were included in the analysis. Statistically significant improvements were noted for all the OABSS and the corresponding diary variables. The effect size (ES) was largest for the OABSS urgency score (2.00), followed by the OABSS total score (1.54), and then by the diary urgency score (0.92). All of the ESs for the OABSS, except daytime frequency, were larger than those of the corresponding diary variables. The standard response means followed a similar pattern to the ESs. A fairly good agreement between OABSS items and the corresponding diary variables was found at baseline and 12 weeks (kappa coefficient, 0.33-0.80). High correlations (Spearman's rho, ≥ 0.5) between changes in OABSS items and the corresponding diary variables were found for urgency incontinence and night-time frequency.ConclusionsThe OABSS is highly sensitive to treatment-related changes of OAB symptoms. Because of its simplicity and dependability, the OABSS can be an alternative to a bladder diary for symptom and efficacy assessment in daily clinical practice.