Integral index of composite treatment effectiveness for nephroureterolithiasis as a tool for comparative evaluation of endourological methods

In contemporary urology, the effectiveness of nephroureterolithiasis treatment is traditionally assessed using individual indicators such as the stone-free rate, the incidence of postoperative complications, and the duration of the surgical procedure. However, the use of isolated criteria limits the scope for comprehensive interpretation of treatment outcomes and hinders objective comparison of different endourological techniques. The aim of the present study was to develop and provide a methodological rationale for an Integral index of composite treatment effectiveness (ICTE) for nephroureterolithiasis, intended for the comparative evaluation of endourological methods. The study employed methods of contemporary scientific literature analysis, formalisation of the principles of composite assessment of clinical outcomes, and development of a mathematical model of an integral indicator based on the stone-free rate, complication rate, and operative duration. The necessity of developing an integral quantitative indicator combining the key parameters of clinical outcomes and providing a more comprehensive and comparable assessment of treatment effectiveness was substantiated. An integral index of composite treatment effectiveness was proposed, based on the combination of the stone-free rate, the incidence of postoperative complications, and operative duration as an indicator of procedural resource utilisation. The developed mathematical model enables quantitative integration of the principal characteristics of treatment outcomes into a single indicator, ensuring comparability of the obtained data and facilitating the interpretation of clinical results. It was demonstrated that the use of the integral index provides a basis for a more objective comparison of different treatment methods, taking into account their clinical effectiveness, safety, and resource requirements. An example of the index calculation is presented to illustrate the practical applicability of the proposed model. The proposed approach enables a transition from the fragmented assessment of individual parameters to a comprehensive quantitative analysis of treatment outcomes and expands the possibilities for comparative research. The use of the integral index may contribute to optimising treatment strategy selection in patients with nephroureterolithiasis; however, further clinical validation is required