Background: Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is a common condition affecting a significant number of working adults, resulting in increased healthcare utilization, reduced quality of life and decreased work productivity. The MATRIX study was a large, prospective, community-based, observational US study aimed at evaluating the impact of oxybutynin transdermal system (OXY-TDS). In this paper, we report on productivity findings among working adults in MATRIX.
Methods: This study enrolled 2878 adults (aged > or =18 years) with symptoms of OAB from 327 practice sites throughout the US. All subjects received OXY-TDS (3.9 mg/day up to 6 months). Baseline versus end-of-study productivity was measured using the Work Productivity Questionnaire (WPQ). The WPQ includes a subset of questions from the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) and consists of four scales: (i) physical; (ii) time management; (iii) mental; and (iv) output demands. Overall productivity was measured by the work productivity index score (WPQ Index; a summary score based on scales) and work productivity loss score (WPLS; a measure of reduced output compared with healthy workers). Psychometric performance of the WPQ instrument is also reported, since this study represents the first use of the tool.
Results: Of the participants, 52% were of working age (18-65 years) and 38.6% were employed. A total of 1112 working adults participated in MATRIX and were included in this analysis. They had a mean age of 52.4 years; 92.2% were female and 80.9% were Caucasian. Subjects who reported that they were most affected by OAB were also most impaired at work. After OXY-TDS treatment, participants experienced significant improvements in mean scores for all four WPQ scales (p < or = 0.0002) and the mean WPQ Index decreased from 8.2 to 5.5 (p < 0.0001). In addition, the WPLS decreased from 7.7% to 5.2% (p < 0.0001), indicating improvement in work function with OXY-TDS treatment.
Conclusion: OAB contributes to decreased work productivity due to job interruptions as well as fatigue. OXY-TDS may result in productivity improvement when patients receive 3.9 mg/day via twice weekly patch application for up to 6 months.