PS-06-001 The Masturbation Erection Index (MEI): Validation of a New Psychometric Tool Derived from the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-6) and from the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) for Measuring Erectile Function During Masturbation

To validate a psychometric instrument, the Masturbation Erection Index (MEI) able to evaluate erectile function (EF) during masturbation. In fact, although the evaluation of EF during masturbation is pivotal in evaluating erectile dysfunction (ED), to date no specific psychometric tools have been developed to measure it both in the routine clinical practice and in the experimental setting. Of 560 male patients attending for the first time our andrological outpatient clinic, 99 (17.7%) were affected by ED. As a control group, we enrolled 102 sexually healthy men. All subjects were requested to fill out both the abridged International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-6) and the MEI. The MEI was used together with a standardized tool, the Erection Hardness Score (EHS). The MEI was validated in terms of content validity. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Internal consistency was evaluated by the Cronbach’s alpha. The comparability between MEI and IIEF-6 in measuring EF was tested by the Bland & Altman analysis. The Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) between the two questionnaires was also determined.