Incontinence Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Incontinence, including details on urinary incontinence, bladder control, treatment, causes.

What is a clinician to do-believe the patient or her urinary diary?

Kenton K, Fitzgerald MP, Brubaker L

Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA. kkenton@lumc.edu

PURPOSE: We determined if patient recall of incontinence episodes correlates with urinary diary record. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women with 1 or more urge incontinence episode per week completed 2, 7-day diaries, the Urinary Distress Inventory and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire, and responded to 2 recall questions. RESULTS: The median number of incontinence episodes participants recalled (6.5, 5) was higher than those recorded in the diary (1.9, 1.1) at both points. Incontinence episodes in 2, 7-day diaries correlated strongly (rho = 0.921, p <0.005) while participant recall of incontinence episodes correlated weakly (rho = 0.309, p <0.059). When subjects reported being only slightly or not bothered by urge incontinence, recall and diary record correlated strongly (rho = 0.812, p = 0.014). With increasing bother (moderate or great), recall and diary were not significantly correlated (rho = 0.528, p = 0.115). CONCLUSIONS: Women with urge incontinence either overestimate or under record incontinence episode frequency in the urinary diary. This effect is more pronounced in women who are more bothered by incontinence.

Published 3 July 2006 in J Urol, 176(2): 633-5; discussion 635.
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