Publications by authors named "Ruaraidh MacDonagh"
The provision of effective urological management in low- and middle-income countries requires the delivery of appropriate and effective care adapted to the needs, capability and resources of the host country. However, a deeper cognisance of the culture, the religious practices and the logistics of healthcare in that environment determines the ability to effectively to 'twin', that is, to provide a long-term healthcare partnership. Patient beliefs can have profound effects on the understanding of the aetiology of illness, its relevance to their long-term health and the stigmatization of their family's social status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Predicted patient life expectancy (LE) and survival probability (SP), based on a patient's medical history, are important components of surgical decision-making and informed consent. The objective of this study was to assess patients' interpretation of and desire to know information relating to LE, in addition to establishing the most effective format for discussion.
Methods: A cross sectional survey of 120 patients (mean age = 68.
Purpose: We assessed which clinical parameters consultant urologists use to recommend treatment for early prostate cancer.
Materials And Methods: A total of 30 consultant urologists reviewed 70 paper representations of patients with prostate cancer. Each contained 7 commonly available cues, including prostate specific antigen, Gleason grade, rectal examination, magnetic resonance imaging/laparoscopic stage, medical history, patient choice and age, in addition to 2 cues not yet routinely available, that is predicted life expectancy and 10-year survival probability, as calculated using actuarial formulas based on noncancer comorbidity.
Background: There is increasing evidence to support the phenomenon of response shift (RS) in quality of life (QoL) studies, with many current QoL measures failing to allow for this. If significant response shift occurs amongst prostate cancer patients, it will be necessary to allow for this in the design of future clinical research and to reassess the conclusions of previous studies that have not allowed for this source of bias. This study therefore aimed to assess the presence of RS and psychosocial morbidity in patients with advanced prostate cancer and their partners.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the degree of accuracy, precision and consistency with which consultant urologists, oncologists and junior doctors predict a patient's 10-year life-expectancy.
Subjects And Methods: Eighteen doctors of varying seniority independently examined 70 patient case scenarios containing detailed medical histories; 13 of these cases were duplicate scenarios. Bland-Altman analyses were used to compare doctors' estimates of the probability of each hypothetical patient surviving 10 years with that calculated using actuarial methods.
Objectives: To develop and assess the psychometric properties of a short self-report nocturia-specific Quality-of-Life (QOL) questionnaire.
Methods: The Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire (N-QOL) was developed using focus group interviews with men experiencing nocturia. To refine it further and psychometrically validate the questionnaire, 107 men with nocturia (from four urology clinics in the United Kingdom) completed the pilot N-QOL, along with measures of health status and sleep quality.
Purpose: We assessed the psychometric properties of the newly developed Erectile Dysfunction Effect on Quality of Life (ED-EQoL) instrument for quantifying the effect of erectile dysfunction on quality of life.
Materials And Methods: The questionnaire was assessed in a cohort of 283 men recruited from 11 centers in the United Kingdom. Internal consistency was examined by Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability was determined by administering the instrument on 2 occasions 2 weeks apart without treatment in the interim, construct validity was assessed by comparison with other quality of life measures and responsiveness was evaluated by comparing the change in the ED-EQoL after treatment with change in other measures.