Part
01
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Part
01
Bladder Volume Diagnostics: Global Count
Research has shown that the count or more direct estimates of the number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted worldwide is not available; however, using the incidence rates of the most common bladder-related dysfunctions as a proxy, we could arrive at an annual estimate of 1.517 billion bladder volume diagnostic tests. Below, is an overview and in-depth methodology of our findings.
KEY FINDINGS
- Calculations (in the next section) show that based on the incidence rates of the generally common bladder-related dysfunctions — overactive bladder, urinary retention, and urinary incontinence — the estimated number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted worldwide is 1.115 billion, 17,518,500, and 385,000,000 respectively.
- These bring the total estimated number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted to be about 1.517 billion.
- "Urodynamic studies determine how the bladder, sphincters, and urethra hold and release urine."
- "Urodynamic testing helps to ascertain how well the bladder functions, as well as to find the reasons for urine leakage or blockage in the bladder or pathway of urine."
- "Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine due to loss of bladder control."
- Research shows that "an estimated 2.3 billion individuals across the world will be affected by at least one of the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) by 2020. Around 423 million of these will suffer from urinary incontinence (UI), 546 million from overactive bladder (OAB), and 1.1 billion from LUTS/bladder outlet obstruction.
- "An estimated 500 million people in the world are affected by urinary incontinence and it is one of the major factors driving the global urodynamic testing market."
- The key players operating in the global urodynamic testing market are Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Accu Reference Medical Labs, Quest Diagnostics, Eurofins Scientific, Urology Specialists, Arkansas Urology, and Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), etc.
RESEARCH STRATEGY
To address this request, we began by looking through scientific and medical journals, urology-related reports, government health agencies such as the US and EU CDC, and the WHO, for the number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted on a global basis. But we couldn't find any relevant reports in this regard. We also searched through market reports that profile different aspects of the urology industry but could not get a hold of any relevant information on the number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted, on a global basis.
Since there are no resources that provide information on the requested information, we quickly switched our approach to triangulation. We could come up with two triangulation strategies that aimed at providing a rough estimate of the number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted on a global basis. The first approach involved market size data while the second, incident rate figures. Thus, because the first approach would likely yield a more feasible and accurate estimate than the second approach, which may involve assumptions, we started with the first approach.
To estimate the requested information using market size figures, we sought to find the global market size of bladder volume diagnostics, round up the average price or cost for a bladder volume test from key regional urology health facilities. Then, by dividing the former (global market size) with the latter (average cost of a bladder volume test), we hoped to obtain an estimate of the number of bladder volume tests conducted around the world annually. However, while we could feasibly find the average price for a bladder volume test, we could not readily find the market size of bladder volume diagnostics. We expanded the market to capture lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which mainly covers the bladder, and other organs like urinary sphincter and urethra but found no market size data. Lastly, since we found that "urodynamic testing helps to ascertain how well the bladder functions" and that "the test also helps to find the reasons for urine leakage or blockage in the bladder or pathway of urine," we expanded to cover the global urodynamic test market. However, while we could find a report that provides the market size of urodynamics testing, the contents are locked and would require premium access. Other reports only exclusively covered urodynamic equipment, devices, and products, which is not relevant to our triangulation.
Since the triangulation approach using market size figures proved challenging, we moved on to the second approach that involves the incidence rates of bladder volume-related cases/problems, since incidence rate involves the number of reported/new cases, usually after diagnoses, within a time frame. Then, assuming that all incident cases were diagnosed with bladder volume tests, the incidence rates can then be applied to the target population or world population to obtain an estimate of the number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted, globally. However, we could not find the incidence rates of bladder volume-related cases/problems. Nevertheless, our general research in this regard showed that some common bladder-related dysfunctions that lead to the conduction of bladder volume tests are urinary incontinence, urinary retention, and overactive bladder. Therefore, we found the global incidence rates of these dysfunctions and then, assuming that bladder volume diagnostics were used to detect these incidences, the incidence rates were applied to the corresponding target population to obtain an estimate of the number of bladder volume diagnostic tests for each dysfunction. A simple addition of all figures then gives an estimated number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted, globally.
Lastly, while this approach could provide a rough estimate of what the numbers may look like, there were no supportive data or data points that could be used to provide a breakdown of this estimate by geographic location. This was partly because of the difficulty in finding regional incidence rates that could be used to provide the breakdown.
CALCULATIONS
Overactive Bladder:
"The worldwide incidence of overactive bladder (OAB) is 11-19%." Assuming that this range of rates occurs annually, this results to an annual average of 15% [i.e., (11% + 19%) / 2 = 15%]. Since the world population is 7.7 billion, and assuming that bladder volume diagnostics were used to diagnose all cases of OABs, then the estimated number of volume diagnostic tests annually conducted worldwide for OAB is 1.115 billion (i.e., 15% * 7.7 billion = 1.115 billion).
Urinary Retention:
Common among men, "the annual incidence of primary acute urinary retention (AUR) varies from 2.2 to 6.8/1,000 men." This results to an annual average of 4.5/1,000 men [i.e., (2.2 + 6.8) / 2 = 4.5]. Since the world population of men is about 3.893 billion, and assuming that bladder volume diagnostics were used to diagnose all cases of AUR, then the estimated number of volume diagnostic tests annually conducted worldwide for AUR is 17,518,500 [i.e., (4.5 / 1,000) * 3.893 billion = 17,518,500].
Urinary Incontinence:
"The mean annual incidence of UI has been reported to range from 1% to 9%." This results to an annual average of 5% [i.e., (1% + 9%) / 2 = 5%]. Since the world population is 7.7 billion, and assuming that bladder volume diagnostics were used to diagnose all cases of urinary incontinence, then the estimated number of volume diagnostic tests annually conducted worldwide for urinary incontinence is 385,000,000 (i.e., 5% * 7.7 billion = 385,000,000).
Therefore, adding the number of tests for these three categories, the estimated number of bladder volume diagnostic tests annually conducted worldwide is about 1,517,518,500 or 1.517 billion (i.e., 1.115 billion + 17,518,500 + 385,000,000 = 1,517,518,500).