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UPJ INSIGHT Identifying Patient-Centered Research Priorities in Overactive Bladder by Crowdsourcing and Targeted Recruitment

By: Ashley Park; Aidan Kennedy; Riley Kennedy, MD; Philippe E Zimmern, MD; Rena D. Malik, MD | Posted on: 01 May 2022

Park A, Kennedy A, Kennedy R, et al: Identifying patient-centered research priorities in overactive bladder by crowdsourcing and targeted recruitment. Urol Pract 2022; https://doi.org/10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000298.

Study Need and Importance

Overactive bladder (OAB) affects approximately 16%−40% of the U.S. population and has a projected annual cost of $82.6 billion. Patients often demonstrate a poor understanding of the physiology of OAB and the rationale behind diagnostic modalities and treatments, which hinders their ability to make informed decisions. Patient perspectives on OAB research have not been previously identified. Patient-centered outcomes research can help bridge the gap by identifying and prioritizing research areas or opportunities for improved care valuable to patients with an OAB condition.

What We Found

Of 555 responders, 352 screened positive on the Overactive Bladder Awareness Tool-3 item, and 232 completed the followup survey and met study criteria. Of included participants, 62% were female, 43% had a bachelor’s degree and the mean±SD age was 38.65±11.91 years. The top 3 research preferences of Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) participants were etiologies of overactive bladder (31%); individualized treatment based on age, race, gender and comorbidities (19%); and identifying fastest OAB treatments (15%). Although 72% of patients had experienced OAB symptoms for over 6 months, only 18% had sought treatment.

“Patients often demonstrate a poor understanding of the physiology of OAB and the rationale behind diagnostic modalities and treatments, which hinders their ability to make informed decisions.”

Limitations

Our study limitations include the fact that while sensitive for OAB symptoms, the screening survey cannot differentiate OAB from other conditions that produce OAB symptoms. Also, while MTurk experiments have been found valid in many studies, the identity and motives of the workers are unknown as they are incentivized to complete surveys. Furthermore, MTurk workers differ from the general U.S. population, as they are more often female and highly educated, producing a selection bias.

Interpretations for Patient Care

Using MTurk, we present the first report of OAB research priorities identified by patients experiencing OAB symptoms. Crowdsourcing offers a timely and cost-effective method to learn directly from people with OAB. Few participants sought treatment despite having bothersome symptoms. Additional investigation into patients’ perceived “fastest OAB treatments” could further elucidate the patient perspective.