OBJECTIVES: To assess the content validity of the Actionable Bladder Symptom Screening Tool (ABSST), previously validated in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) associated neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), in women with overactive bladder (OAB) and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). The ABSST is an 8-item questionnaire which assesses bladder symptoms along with their impact. METHODS: Cognitive interviews were conducted with non-diabetic female gynecology patients suffering from OAB and UUI to 1) understand how subjects describe experiencing OAB and UUI and, 2) assess subjects’ comprehension of the ABSST. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Atlas.ti. RESULTS: Ten subjects were interviewed; 6 Caucasian, mean age was 49.2 ± 13.7, and 7 full- or part-time employed. All 10 subjects had clinician-confirmed and self-reported OAB (average duration 6.9 ± 4.7 years). Mean ABSST score was 4.2 out of 8. Subjects understood the 5 symptom items (frequencies of urinary urgency, urgency incontinence, nocturia, and total micturition, and intensity of urinary urgency) and the 3 impact items (social limitations, embarrassment, and work limitations) as intended including instructions, and response options. Subjects confirmed that the symptoms were relevant and important. Although only a few subjects spontaneously reported experiencing the symptom impacts, 6 subjects acknowledged embarrassment was important and 7 subjects reported experiencing work limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, subjects found the ABSST items relevant and easy to understand. Participants found the symptom items were more relevant than the impact items. Possible explanations may be that these gynecology patients are a younger, healthier group compared to the MS sample, and have adapted to and coped with their conditions thereby lessening the perceived impacts of OAB and UUI. Nonetheless, the ABSST was understood well and was reported to be comprehensive and relevant to their experiences with OAB and UUI symptoms.