Archive | 2021
Establishing Consensus on a Screening Tool for the Neglected Sexual SIde Effects after Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Modified E-Delphi Study.
Abstract
\n BackgroundNeglected sexual side effects are a group of less common sexual side effects after Prostate that may present after Prostate Cancer treatment. There is currently no valid and reliable tool to identify these side effects. A modified Delphi study is an effective way of developing and validating such a screening tool.MethodsA modified Delphi study was used to obtain consensus from a multi-disciplinary group of experts over three rounds. Ten statements were presented containing 8 close ended statements on individual NSSEs, and 2 open ended statements on Psychosocial impact related to NSSE. Consensus was defined as a 75% strongly agree achievement on each statement, or the final statement evolution at the end of 3 rounds. Statement support in each round was determined by mean, standard deviation and range, after a numerical value was allocated to each statement during specific rounds. All three rounds were structured and suggestions and additions were incorporated in the statement evolution of the three rounds.ResultsThirty five participants were invited, and 27 completed Round 1(RD 1), 23 participants completed RD2, and 20 participants completed RD3. All 3 rounds were completed in 12 weeks. Statement 1(sexual arousal incontinence), statement 2(climacturia) and statement 3 (orgasm intensity) reached consensus after RD2, and statement 9 (sexual dysfunction impact) and statement 10 (experiences) were removed after RD3. Statement 4 (orgasmic pain), statement 5 (anejaculation), statement 6(sensory disturbances), statement 7 (penile length shortening) and statement 8 (penile curvature) were finalised after the conclusion of RD3. Statement 1-3 were the most stable statements with the most support and least amount of disagreement. Statements 4-8 were less stable, but support for them improved over the 3 rounds. Statement 9-10 both had good stability, but the support indicated that they needed to be removed from the set of statements. Statement 5 had the poorest range due to an outlier opinion.ConclusionsConsensus was reached on the statements making up the NSSE screening tool. Health care practitioners will be able to use this tool to identify NSSE after prostate cancer treatment. Further reliability testing on this tool is needed.