Validated Questionnaires for the Assessment of Italian Patients with Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Introduction: Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a pathological condition that significantly impacts women's health. It is therefore necessary to correctly diagnose it and offer the most appropriate treatment for her. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been established, which include questionnaires measuring quality of life (QoL) and symptoms. Although several English-language questionnaires are available to assess PFDs and QoL concerns, relatively few have been validated for use in Italian. With a focus on validated PROs in Italian for assessing PFDs, this article aimed to provide a systematic overview of the literature with useful information on references and advice on how to access each unique questionnaire.

Methods: Up until March 1, 2024, a systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The PubMed/MEDLINE databases and websites were utilized to locate validated Italian-language PFD surveys. The text provides instructions on how to receive a copy of the questionnaire if it has been identified and confirmed to be possible.

Results: Thirty-five Italian-validated questionnaires were included: 17 out of 35 (48.6%) questionnaires focused on lower urinary tract symptoms, 1 (2.8%) on genital prolapse symptoms, 8 (22.8%) on sexuality, 3 (8.6%) on bowel symptoms, and 6 (17.2%) on pelvic dysfunctions. The literature search turned up seven more. Italian PRO validation documents compared to the last analysis. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12), the Sexual Desire and Erotic Fantasies (SDEF) Questionnaire, the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES), the 12-Item Sexual Distress Scale (SDS) and 5-Item Sexual Distress Scale-Short Form (SDS-SF), the questionnaires from Vaizey and Wexner and the fecal incontinence severity index (FISI), the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), and the Intermittent Catheterization Acceptance Test (I-CAT) are among the specifically newly validated PROs.

Conclusions: In order to encourage the use of suitable PROs while examining PFDs in Italian patients, this systematic review is meant to be a useful tool.