A Deception Study to Avoid Recall Bias Confirms Similar Scores for 3 Validated Questionnaires in the Office or Over the Phone in Women With or Without Urinary Incontinence.

PURPOSE: With increasing telehealth technology, confirming the validity of non-office administration of questionnaires intended for office use only is important. We studied 3 validated questionnaires: the Urinary Distress Inventory 6-Short Form, the International Incontinence 7-Short Form, and a quality of life survey using a deception model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following Institutional Review Board approval and power calculations, these 3 questionnaires were prospectively administered in women with and without incontinence by phone and then again in person about 2 weeks later. To avoid recall bias, participants were not informed of the study over the phone. After completing their office visit questionnaire scores, they were told about the study and invited to consent for comparison of their phone and in-person questionnaire scores. Non-English speakers and those with an active urinary tract infection, with impaired mental competency, or on a fluid diet were excluded.

RESULTS: From June to September 2021, 86 women, including 40 incontinent (30-85 years old) and 46 control (30-85 years old), with similar demographic parameters met all study criteria. Of the 14 questions studied, only 2, ie, Question 1 on the Urinary Distress Inventory 6-Short Form (P = .033) and Question 7 on the International Incontinence 7-Short Form (P = .036), showed rather minimal but statistically significant differences in scores. For incontinent women, only Question 7 on the International Incontinence 7-Short Form (P = .012) showed a significant score difference.

CONCLUSIONS: The 3 questionnaire scores were overall comparable when obtained over the phone or during office visits. Women with incontinence, who may otherwise be lost to follow-up or only reachable by telehealth calls, can benefit from the remote administration of these 3 questionnaires.