Decision aids for benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

Objectives: To examine the relationships among implementing decision aids (DAs) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PRCA), and treatment rates and costs.

Study Design: A pre-post observational evaluation of a quality improvement initiative in a healthcare system in Washington state.

Methods: Men with BPH seen in urology clinics and all men diagnosed with localized PRCA were identified for an intervention period, in which urologists were instructed to order a DA for every patient with those conditions, and a historical control period.

Primary care and urology patients with the male pelvic pain syndrome: symptoms and quality of life.

Purpose: We assessed symptoms and health related quality of life in men who received prostatitis-prostatodynia diagnoses at primary care and urology visits, and compared those in whom pain-discomfort had versus had not resolved approximately 1 month later.

Materials And Methods: Telephone interviews were done with 357 men an average of 1 month after a prostatitis-prostatodynia diagnosis was made at a health maintenance organization visit. The interview included the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, and pain and health related quality of life measures.