Abstract
Quality of life can be seriously affected by pelvic floor disorders
and a range of other coexisting symptoms. The electronic patient
assessment questionnaire (ePAQ®) is a validated tool that can be used
for the assessment of pelvic floor disorders. The authors aimed to
systematically review all the studies that had used ePAQ for assessment
of pelvic-floor-related quality of life. The delivery of evidence-based
care is paramount and dependent on a precise, detailed clinical history.
A pelvic floor questionnaire is an effective way of assessing the effect
of pelvic floor dysfunction on quality of life. A thorough literature
search was conducted in November 2013 using various search
engines. A total of 15 articles were found. Four of these articles were
excluded as ePAQ had not been used and the remaining 11 articles
summarised. The main themes drawn from the studies were: screening
and diagnostic uses, treatment prioritisation, treatment response and
miscellaneous/qualitative data. The findings illustrate that the pelvic
floor assessment version of ePAQ is a useful tool in assessing patients
before and after receiving pelvic floor treatment.
Key words: ePAQ ■ Quality of life questionnaires ■ Pelvic