The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is an 8 question (7 symptom questions + 1 quality of life question) written screening tool used to screen for, rapidly diagnose, track the symptoms of, and suggest management of the symptoms of the disease benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Created in 1992 by the American Urological Association, it originally lacked the 8th QOL question, hence its original name: the American Urological Association symptom score (AUA-7).
The 7 symptoms questions include feeling of incomplete bladder emptying, frequency, intermittency, urgency, weak stream, straining and nocturia, each referring to during the last month, and each involving assignment of a score from 1 to 5 for a total of maximum 35 points. The 8th question of quality of life is assigned a score of 1 to 6.
The IPSS was designed to be self-administered by the patient, with speed and ease in mind. Hence, it can be used in both urology clinics as well as the clinics of primary care physicians (i.e. by general practitioners) for the diagnosis of BPH. Additionally, the IPSS can be performed multiple times to compare the progression of symptoms and their severity over months and years.
In addition to diagnosis and charting disease progression, the IPSS is effective in helping to determine treatment for patients.
Standardization
In research, the IPSS is used to standardize patients complaints. A meta-analysis on the subject of the influence of position on urodynamics noted that in most cases however, the IPSS was not or not adequately used.