title: Web-based versus paper administration of common ophthalmic questionnaires: comparison of subscale scores.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare participants' responses to Web-based and paper-and-pencil versions of an ophthalmic, patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Matched subjects with ocular surface disease (OSD) (n = 68) and without OSD (controls, n = 50).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects completed a standard, paper-and-pencil and a Web-based version of the same questionnaire in randomized order. The administered questionnaire included several ophthalmic PRO subscales: the National Eye Institute's (NEI's) Refractive Error Quality of Life Instrument's Clarity of Vision, Near Vision, Far Vision, Glare, Symptoms, Worry, and Satisfaction with Correction subscales; the Ocular Surface Disease Index's (OSDI's) Symptoms subscale; and the NEI's Visual Function Questionnaire's Driving subscale. Possible scores for each subscale ranged from 0 (no difficulty) to 100 (most difficulty). Agreement of subscale scores between modes of administration was assessed using the Bland-Altman approach and multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subscale scores and an unweighted average total score for each mode of administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean differences in scores between modes of administration ranged from -2.1 to +2.3 units. Although no differences were found to be statistically significant, the Worry and Satisfaction with Correction subscales approached statistical significance (P = 0.07 and 0.08, respectively). Although most subscale mean differences in score did not differ significantly by gender, age (≥40 vs. <40 years), disease status (OSD vs. control), order of administration, or time between completion of the questionnaires, women had slightly greater score differences than men for the Driving (P = 0.04) and Clarity of Vision (P = 0.03) subscales; those with OSD had greater score differences for Clarity of Vision than did controls (P = 0.0006); and those aged ≥40 years had slightly greater differences in OSDI Symptoms subscale than those aged <40 years (P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this Food and Drug Administration and NEI collaboration is the first study to evaluate the equivalence of Web-based and paper versions of ophthalmic PRO questionnaires. We found no evidence of clinically significant differences between scores obtained by the 2 modes for any of the examined subscales. A Web-based instrument should yield scores equivalent to those obtained by standard methods, providing a useful tool that may facilitate ophthalmic innovation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
authors.affiliation: Office of Research in Women's Health, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Office of the Clinical Director, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Janine Austin
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Malvina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eydelman
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Zorayr
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Manukyan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kramm
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Datiles
authors.forename: Alana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Temple
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Jonghyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hilmantel
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rorer
authors.forename: Keri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hammel
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010209:Paper; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult