A utility analysis correlation with visual acuity: methodologies and vision in the better and poorer eyes.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the correlation between visual acuity levels and ophthalmic utility values obtained using time tradeoff and standard gamble utility analysis methodologies.


METHODS
Three hundred twenty-five consecutive patients with visual loss to 20/40 or less in at least one eye with predominantly vitreoretinal pathology were evaluated in a cross-sectional fashion using a standardized testing methodology to obtain ophthalmic time tradeoff and standard gamble utility values. Spearman correlation coefficients were employed to correlate the utility values with visual acuity in better seeing and poorer seeing eyes.


RESULTS
The Spearman correlation coefficient for time tradeoff utility values and vision in the better seeing eye was 0.455 (p < 0.001), while that for time tradeoff utility values and visual acuity in the poorer seeing eye was 0.268 (p < 0.001). The coefficient for standard gamble utility values and the better seeing eye was 0.371 (p < 0.001), while that for standard gamble utility values and vision in the poorer seeing eye was 0.250 (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a greater correlation between ophthalmic utility values and vision in the better seeing eye, as versus vision in the poorer seeing eye. Time tradeoff ophthalmic utility values demonstrate a greater correlation with vision in the better seeing eye than do standard gamble utility values.
Brown
M M
MM
Center for Evidence-Based Health Care Economics, Flourtown, PA 19031, USA Lissa1011@aol.com
Brown
G C
GC
Sharma
S
S
Smith
A F
AF
Landy
J
J
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D014792:Visual Acuity