Development and Example of a Web-Based Open Source Clinical Tool

Urinary incontinence affects from 3% to 55% of the population, depending on the definition of incontinence used and the age range studied. The prevalence is highest among older woman (17%-55%) and incontinence negatively impacts their quality of life. Holroyd-Leduc and Straus (2004) recommend that physicians understand the causes and management options available to their female patients with urinary incontinence. The objective was to develop an open source Web-based clinical questionnaire tool that health care providers can use to manage urinary incontinence. The health care providers who would be using the tool were initially consulted for their requirements. Based on the users' requirements the tool functions must deliver, collect, and provide questionnaire analysis. The clinical tool questionnaire was required to provide questionnaire design functionality along with the ability to collect demographic information and deliver validated urinary incontinence questionnaires, incontinence impact questionnaire-7 and the urogenital distress inventory-6. To develop the Web-based prototype tool an open-source software questionnaire system entitled PHPSurveyor was used and custom developed administration and statistical functions were integrated into the clinical tool.