The following is a summary of “Role of remote diagnostics to better assess uroflow variability: insights from combining at-home uroflows and frequency volume charts from 19,868 voids using a novel, handheld, cellular embedded device,” published in the April 2024 issue of Urology by Kaplan et al.
This study aims to assess the representativeness of 24-hour data collection utilizing a home uroflow device among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), shedding light on the overall patient experience. Employing the iO Urology CarePath device, home uroflow data from men attending a single urology clinic was retrospectively gathered and analyzed. Void characteristics were meticulously summarized, contrasting data collected over a 24-hour period that was amassed over several days or weeks using the device, with the 24-hour data excluded from the overall study.
A linear mixed effects model was deployed to scrutinize differences in average maximum flow rate (Qmax) from voids captured during 24 hours vis-à-vis the comprehensive study duration. Our analysis incorporated data from 486 men, with a mean age of 67.4, resulting in 465 individuals in the final analysis, comprising 15,521 voids in the overall study and 4,347 voids in the single-day analysis. The model-derived average Qmax was 11.2 ml/s (95% CI: 10.80, 11.65) for the 24-hour group and 11.2 ml/s (95% CI: 10.81, 11.64) for the overall study cohort, indicating no significant difference (p=0.970). Subgroup analysis focusing on voids exceeding 150 ml yielded consistent results.
While variations in voiding parameters were observed, the similarity in average Qmax between 24-hour and extended data collection periods underscores the potential of home uroflowmetry, combined with frequency-volume chart information, to give clinicians objective insights into uroflow variability. Such data can be invaluable in formulating individualized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090429524002942