Summary

The impact of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on a woman’s quality of life may be significant, often resulting in psychological distress. The need for an instrument to measure the range of health-related problems experienced by women with PCOS was addressed by Dr. L. Cronin, G. Guyatt, L. Griffith, E. Wong, R. Azziz, W. Futterweit, D. Cook and A. Dunaif, who developed the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ).

The instrument uses a 7-point scale to answer 26 questions in five domains: emotions, body hair, weight, infertility and menstrual problems and takes about 10- 15 minutes to complete. The PCOSQ is available in self-administered format.

The PCOSQ has been licensed out worldwide and 2 validated translations are now available. There are also 2 local (non-validated) translations. It is utilized in academic research to monitor patients in clinical trials and observational studies. It can also be used to track the progress of patients in healthcare practice settings.

To meet increasing demand for electronic versions of questionnaires, the PCOSQ is available for use in electronic format as well as in hardcopy. MILO is working closely with translation companies to review electronic conversions of all questionnaires in its library. MILO is also continuing to increase the portfolio of validated translations for questionnaires.