title: A prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study examining how glaucoma affects quality of life and visually-related function over 4 years: design and methodology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to summarize the design and methodology of a prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study to investigate how glaucoma affects patients' quality of life and visually-related function over a 4-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty-one (161) subjects were enrolled in this ongoing study. Patients between the ages of 21-85 years with a minimum 2-year diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma, chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma were included. Each patient visited Wills Eye Hospital for a baseline visit. Follow-up is planned for a minimum of 4 years, with annual visits. Each visit includes (1) Clinical evaluation: a slit lamp examination, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, visual field examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity test and the Spaeth-Richman Contrast Sensitivity test; (2) a performance based measure: the Compressed Assessment of Ability Related to Vision; and (3) Subjective measures of vision-related quality of life (the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire 25 and the Modified Glaucoma Symptom Scale).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this ongoing, prospective, longitudinal study are expected to shed light on the relationships between clinical measures, performance-based measures and subjective measures of well-being, in order to assess changes in the quality of life and the ability to function of patients with glaucoma over time.
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. MWaisbourd@willseye.org.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waisbourd
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. SParker@willseye.org.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. feyzahah@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Feyzahan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ekici
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. pmartinezlehman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. tub98500@temple.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. kscully@villanova.edu.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. SWizov@willseye.org.
authors.forename: Sheryl S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wizov
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. LHark@willseye.org.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hark
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA. GSpaeth@willseye.org.
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Spaeth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012107:Research Design; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014787:Vision Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult