We’re excited to announce a new peer-reviewed publication in JMIR Formative Research. The research article, conducted as part of Lola Bladt‘s PhD research showcases the considerable benefits of using the Minze Homeflow system for home-based uroflowmetry, especially when compared to traditional in-clinic assessments.
In the retrospective analysis, data from 166 participants—including 91 pediatric and 75 adult patients—was captured, resulting in 3214 Homeflow and 129 Hospiflow readings.
These data points underscored Homeflow’s particular value in cases where Hospiflow (in-clinic uroflowmetry) was either unreliable or unsuccessful—most notably among young children. One key finding was that approximately one-fourth of individuals who showed abnormal flow curves in clinical settings actually had normal, bell-shaped flow curves at home. Additionally Hospiflow significantly underestimates Q-max compared to the median Homeflow Q-max. Q-max is used for treatment and disease monitoring and should be as accurate as possible.
The Minze Homeflow system goes beyond basic diagnosis by offering a nuanced view of urological health. It captures comprehensive data including varying bladder volumes, urge levels and time of voiding. As a result, this technology serves as a valuable tool for not just initial diagnoses, but also ongoing patient follow-up, evaluating treatment effectiveness, and home monitoring after surgical or other interventions.
Background
Lower urinary tract symptoms affect a large number of people of all ages and sexes. The clinical assessment typically involves a bladder diary and uroflowmetry test. Conventional paper-based diaries are affected by low patient compliance, whereas in-clinic uroflowmetry measurement face challenges such as patient stress and inconvenience factors. Home uroflowmetry and automated bladder diaries are believed to overcome these limitations.
Key insights of Home-Based Uroflowmetry in Urology Patient Management with the Minze Homeflow.
- Diverse patient population: The study included real-world data from 166 patients, consisting of 91 pediatric and 75 adult patients, and encompassing both male and female individuals aged between 2 and 75 years.
- Insights into adoption: The research provides insights into the reasons behind the use of Minze Homeflow for diagnostic purposes and follow-up within a clinical setting.
- Artificial results in-clinic: It was found that around one fourth of patients with abnormal flow curves in-clinic were found to have normal bell-shaped flow curves at home. Also, in-clinic uroflowmetry significantly underestimated Q-max compared to the median Homeflow Q-max.
- Enhanced data quality: Homeflow enhanced the quality of uroflowmetry data, with a significantly higher percentage of assessments meeting the required minimum voided volume for accurate uroflowmetry evaluation.
- Holistic data analysis: Homeflow provided more comprehensive data with multiple measurements taken at different bladder volumes, urge levels, and times of the day. Analyzing individual Q-max versus V-void plots and calculating an averaged or median Q-max enhances diagnostic accuracy, surpassing the limitations of a single in-clinic measurement.
Uroflow Systems used in this article
Minze Homeflow product link
Minze Hospiflow Product link.
Results
Results:The device was offered to 166 patients, including 91 pediatric and 75 adult patients. In total, 3214 homeflows and 129 hospiflows were recorded. Homeflow proved valuable for diagnosis, particularly in cases where hospiflow was unreliable or unsuccessful, especially in young children. It confirmed or excluded abnormal hospiflow results and provided comprehensive data with multiple measurements taken at various bladder volumes, urge levels, and times of the day. As a result, we found that approximately one-fourth of the patients with abnormal flow curves in the clinic had normal bell-shaped flow curves at home. Furthermore, homeflow offers the advantage of providing an individual’s plot of maximum flow rate (Q-max) versus voided volume as well as an average or median result. Our findings revealed that a considerable percentage of patients (22/76, 29% for pediatric patients and 24/50, 48% for adult patients) had a Q-max measurement from hospiflow falling outside the range of homeflow measurements. This discrepancy may be attributed to the unnatural nature of the hospiflow test, resulting in nonrepresentative uroflow curves and an underestimation of Q-max, as confirmed by the Bland-Altman plot analysis. The mean difference for Q-max was −3.1 mL/s (with an upper limit of agreement of 13 mL/s and a lower limit of agreement of −19.2 mL/s), which was statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed rank test: V=2019.5; P<.001). Given its enhanced reliability, homeflow serves as a valuable tool not only for diagnosis but also for follow-up, allowing for the evaluation of treatment effectiveness and home monitoring of postoperative and recurrent interventions.
Conclusion
Conclusions: Our first-year experience with Minze homeflow demonstrated its feasibility and usefulness in the diagnosis and follow-up of various patient categories. Homeflow provided more reliable and comprehensive voiding data compared with Hospiflow.
Link to article:
