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Background: Bladder diaries represent a fundamental component in the assessment of patients presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms. Nevertheless, their importance often remains underappreciated and undervalued within clinical practice. This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing literature concerning the utility of bladder diaries, underscore the criticality of their precision, elucidate the factors contributing to noncompliance with bladder diary completion, and investigate potential strategies for enhancing patient compliance. Materials and Methods: A review of the English‐language scientific literature available in the domains of Medline, Embase, Emcare, Midirs, and Cinahl was conducted. This was supplemented by discussion at the International Consultation on Incontinence Research Society Proposal session to define knowledge and identify gaps in knowledge surrounding the utility of bladder diaries. The existing evidence and outcome of the relevant discussion held in the meeting are presented. Results: Bladder diaries (BD) serve to characterize the nature and severity of storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and provide an objective record of an individual's urination patterns. They aid in the refinement and customization of treatment strategies based on the clinical responses documented in the diary, optimizing treatment outcomes. Notably, both BD and urodynamic studies (UDS) play complementary yet distinct roles in LUTS evaluation. BD offers a more comprehensive and accessible approach to assessing specific storage LUTS, particularly due to their affordability and widespread availability, especially in resource‐limited settings. Nevertheless, the absence of a standardized BD format across global healthcare systems presents a significant challenge. Despite being recognized as reliable, noninvasive, validated, and cost‐effective tools for evaluating patients with LUTS, the implementation and completion of BD have proven to be complex. The introduction of automated bladder diaries heralds an era of precise, real‐time data collection, potentially enhancing the patient–clinician relationship. Completion of bladder diaries depends on an array of individual, social, and healthcare‐specific factors. Compliance with bladder diary completion could be enhanced with clear instructions, patient education, regular follow‐ups and positive re‐enforcement. This study has identified four critical areas for future research: Addressing healthcare disparities between affluent and developing nations, enhancing the current functionality and effectiveness of bladder diaries, exploring the feasibility of incorporating bladder diaries into the treatment and education process and improving the quality and functionality of existing bladder diaries. Conclusion: Bladder diaries play a pivotal role in the evaluation and management of patients with LUTS, providing a holistic perspective. When their complete potential is harnessed, they have the capacity to revolutionize the paradigm of LUTS management, ushering in a patient‐centered era of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A "Think Tank" at the International Consultation on Incontinence‐Research Society meeting held in Bristol, United Kingdom in June 2023 considered the progress and promise of machine learning (ML) applied to urodynamic data. Methods: Examples of the use of ML applied to data from uroflowmetry, pressure flow studies and imaging were presented. The advantages and limitations of ML were considered. Recommendations made during the subsequent debate for research studies were recorded. Results: ML analysis holds great promise for the kind of data generated in urodynamic studies. To date, ML techniques have not yet achieved sufficient accuracy for routine diagnostic application. Potential approaches that can improve the use of ML were agreed and research questions were proposed. Conclusions: ML is well suited to the analysis of urodynamic data, but results to date have not achieved clinical utility. It is considered likely that further research can improve the analysis of the large, multifactorial data sets generated by urodynamic clinics, and improve to some extent data pattern recognition that is currently subject to observer error and artefactual noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI) captures current evidence on incontinence. The conference 'Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge XIII' in November 2021 heard an update on the most recent ICI summary on urodynamic testing. This paper summarises the ICI recommendations for future research in urodynamics, with a view to informing engineers of issues and challenges that could benefit from engineering solutions. Engineers are encouraged to contribute to the following areas of research, which will have a direct and positive effect on patients' quality of life and overall health: (a) Urine flow measurement: home- and app-based devices, machine learning analysis of flow shape, (b) Pressure measurement: normal values for and validation of new technologies, including air-filled, non-invasive and urethral pressure reflectometry, (c) Ultrasound imaging: bladder wall biomechanics, bladder shape analysis, (d) Assess normal and abnormal value ranges, and diagnostic performance and (e) Specific trials in understudied patient groups including those with symptoms resistant to treatment, children and the frail elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The working group (WG) initiated by the International Continence Society Standardization Steering Committee and supported by the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction has revised the (1997) ICS Standard for pressure flow studies. Methods: Based on the ICS standard for developing evidence‐based standards, the WG developed this new ICS standard in the period from May 2020 to December 2022. A draft was posted on the ICS website in January 2023 to facilitate public discussion and the comments received have been incorporated into this final release. Results: The WG summarizes the theory and recommends the practice and the terms used for the diagnosis of voiding dysfunction for adult female and male patients without relevant neurological abnormalities, in part 1 of this standard. The WG has also recommended standard principles and parameters for objective and continuous grading of urethral resistance and detrusor voiding contraction on the basis of pressure flow studies in part 2. The recommendations for practice in this part have also the aim to increase the understanding of the physiology as well as the psychology of voiding. The potential effects of the laboratory situation of the test on the voiding as well as the role of the urodynamicist in this regard are discussed. The WG has recommended to use for diagnosis only the voidings that are considered representative by the patient. Conclusion: A pressure flow study is the gold standard to assess voiding function and to quantify dysfunction. This part of the standard explains the clinical background, gives recommendations for the execution of a pressure flow study and lists relevant terms, parameters, and units of measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The Working Group (WG), initiated by the International Continence Society (ICS) Standardisation Steering Committee and supported by the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction, has revised the ICS Standard for pressure‐flow studies of 1997. Methods: Based on the ICS standard for developing evidence‐based standards, the WG developed this new ICS standard in the period from May 2020 to December 2022. A draft was posted on the ICS website in December 2022 to facilitate public discussion and the comments received have been incorporated into this final release. Results: The WG has recommended analysis principles for the diagnosis of voiding dysfunction for adult men and women without relevant neurological abnormalities. New standard terms and parameters for objective and continuous grading of urethral resistance (UR), bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) and detrusor voiding contraction (DVC) are introduced in this part 2 of the standard. The WG has summarized the theory and recommendations for the practice of pressure‐flow study (PFS) for patients in part 1. A pressure‐flow plot is recommended for the diagnosis of every patient, in addition to time‐based graphs. Voided percentage and post void residual volume should always be included in PFS analysis and diagnosis. Only parameters that represent the ratio or subtraction of pressure and synchronous flow are recommended to quantify UR and only parameters that combine pressure and flow in a product or sum are recommended to quantify DVC. The ICS BOO index and the ICS detrusor contraction index are introduced in this part 2 as the standard. The WG has suggested clinical PFS dysfunction classes for male and female patients. A pressure‐flow scatter graph including every patient's pdet at maximum flow (pdetQmax) with maximum flow rate (Qmax) point should be included in all scientific reports considering voiding dysfunction. Conclusion: PFS is the gold standard used to objectively assess voiding function. Quantifying the dysfunction and grading of abnormalities are standardized for adult males and females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]