Developing an Item Bank to Measure Quality of Life in Individuals With Glaucoma, and the Results of the Interview With Patients: The Effect of Visual Function, Visual Field Progression Rate, Medical, and Surgical Treatments on Quality of Life.
OBJECTIVE
To construct a new item bank to measure quality of life (QOL) in glaucoma patients and to evaluate glaucoma patients' QOL using the item bank.


METHODS
An item bank of questions was generated through a literature review of QOL instruments useful for glaucoma patients. Using this item bank, a cognitive survey was performed on 203 patients with glaucoma (112 males and 91 females, 61.9±11.9 y old; mean±SD). The results were then analyzed using the Rasch analysis, and the Rasch-derived disability scores were predicted using linear modelling and the following clinical parameters: age, mean total deviation (mTD) in superior and inferior visual field (mTDsup/mTDinf), mTD progression rate, better visual acuity, worse visual acuity, number of eye drops administered per day, number of trabeculectomy procedures experienced in both eyes.


RESULTS
A total of 23 questionnaires of QOL in glaucoma patients were identified resulting in an item bank of 187 questions related to the following tasks: reading/writing, walking, going out, eating and driving (direct disability) as well as questions concerned with worry/anxiety, social participation, and physical symptoms (indirect disability). In the optimal model for direct disability, age and mTDinf were identified as significant predictors, whereas number of eye drops administered per day and number of trabeculectomy experienced were included in the optimal model for indirect disability.


CONCLUSIONS
A new item bank to measure QOL in glaucoma patients was developed and evaluated. Age and mTDinf were found to be related to direct disability while medical and surgical treatments were related to indirect disability.
*Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo†Orthoptics and Visual, Department of Rehabilitation, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Masato
M
Matsuura
Kazunori
K
Hirasawa
Hiroyo
H
Hirasawa
Mieko
M
Yanagisawa
Hiroshi
H
Murata
Chihiro
C
Mayama
Ryo
R
Asaoka
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014130:Trabeculectomy; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents