title: Caregiver Burden in Patients Receiving Ranibizumab Therapy for Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the caregiver burden and factors determining the burden in patients receiving ranibizumab therapy for neovascular AMD (nAMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 250 matched patient caregiver dyads across three large ophthalmic treatment centres in United Kingdom. The primary outcome was the subjective caregiver burden measured using caregiver reaction assessment scale (CRA). Objective caregiver burden was determined by the caregiver tasks and level of care provided. The factors that may predict the caregiver burden such as the patient's visual acuity of the better eye and vision related quality of life, demographics, satisfaction and support provided by the healthcare and the health status of the dyads were also collected and assessed in a hierarchical regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean CRA score was 3.2±0.5, similar to the score reported by caregivers for atrial fibrillation who require regular hospital appointments for monitoring their thromboprophylaxis. Caregiver tasks including accompanying for hospital appointments for eye treatment and patient's visual acuity in the better eye were the biggest contributors to the caregiver burden hierarchical model explaining 18% and 11% of the variance respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ranibizumab therapy for nAMD is associated with significant caregiver burden. Both disease impact and treatment frequency contributed to the overall burden.
authors.affiliation: NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom; King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rishma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gohil
authors.affiliation: NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom; King's College London, London, United Kingdom; King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roxanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crosby-Nwaobi
authors.affiliation: NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Angus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.affiliation: James Paget University Hospital, Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hykin
authors.affiliation: NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom; King's College London, London, United Kingdom; King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sobha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivaprasad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000069579:Ranibizumab