Validation of the Urgency Perception Scale

OBJECTIVE To ascertain the validity and responsiveness of the Urgency Perception Scale (UPS) as an indicator of perceived urinary urgency. PATIENTS AND METHODS The UPS was developed to assess perceived urinary urgency in clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of the antimuscarinic drug, tolterodine, for treating the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome. Secondary analyses of clinical and patient assessment data from three clinical studies of tolterodine were conducted to evaluate the UPS. Construct validity was assessed by correlations between the UPS and patient voiding diary variables and other patient assessments, including: perception of bladder condition; perception of treatment benefit; the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 health survey; the King's Health Questionnaire; the OAB Questionnaire; and the Overall Treatment Effect scale. RESULTS The UPS correlated well with the patients' perception of bladder condition (correlation coefficients-0.29 to-0.46; all P< 0.001) and with the voiding diary variables, especially incontinence episodes (-0.30 to -0.41) and pad usage (-0.25 to -0.38; all P< 0.001). An improvement in UPS score at the end of treatment was consistently reflected by significant improvements among all voiding variables. CONCLUSION Urinary urgency is a central symptom of OAB and is particularly bothersome because of its unpredictability and consequent impact on daily life. The UPS is a valid scale by which urinary urgency can be assessed subjectively, and provides a useful tool for research into urinary urgency.