Vulval conditions are often sensitive and difficult for patients to talk about openly in clinic. Symptoms such as itching, burning, soreness, or pain during sex may not be disclosed in face-to-face consultations, leaving clinicians without the full picture to support diagnosis and care. Without consistent tools to capture the impact on daily life and wellbeing, services risk missing key information that could transform outcomes for women.
ePAQ-Vulva is a validated digital questionnaire, designed with clinicians to systematically capture vulval symptoms and their impact on quality of life. It empowers patients to describe sensitive experiences in a private, structured way, while providing clinicians with a detailed report before the consultation. The questionnaire assesses across four domains:
Symptoms – e.g. irritation, pain, swelling, lumps, skin changes
Sexual function – impact on activity, comfort, and satisfaction
Emotional & psychological impact – anxiety, embarrassment, distress
Daily life – effects on movement, clothing and hygiene
Developed with academic partners and validated through peer-reviewed studies (J Low Genit Tract Dis, 2017), ePAQ-Vulva is recognised as one of the first PROMs designed specifically for vulval health, helping to raise standards of assessment and follow-up in this area.
The Benefits
For Patients
and Families
A safe, private way to disclose sensitive symptoms without embarrassment
Ensures personal concerns and quality-of-life impacts are considered in care planning
More personalised treatment and better ongoing monitoring
For
Clinicians
Structured, validated PROM data available before the consultation
Consistent assessment across the service, improving diagnostic accuracy
Saves consultation time by focusing discussion on the issues that matter most to the patient
For Health Systems
Improves efficiency by reducing unnecessary follow-up appointments
Provides high-quality PROM data to support service evaluation and audit
Enhances patient experience