Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the performance of the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire by assessing its dimensionality, repeatability, validity, and by comparing it to four existing dry eye questionnaires.
Methods:
A total of 50 subjects, 30 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic, as determined using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) were enrolled. All subjects completed 5 different dry eye questionnaires (SPEED, OSDI, DEQ, McMonnies and SESoD) in a random order on two separate visits. Clinical measurements were obtained on the first visit. Concordance correlation coefficient was used to determine repeatability, Principal Component, Factor and Rasch analyses were used to determine dimensionality, and the comparison of SPEED scores to dry eye diagnosis defined by the OSDI (primarily using receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis) was used to determine validity.
Results:
The SPEED questionnaire was found to be uni-dimensional using Rasch analysis. Three principal components (dryness, burning, soreness/fatigue) were identified and SPEED scores between visit CCC was 0.923 (upper and lower 95% CI 0.868 to 0.955). The area under the ROC was 0.928. The only clinical measures that correlated “well” with SPEED scores were corneal staining (p < 0.05), meibomian gland score (MGS) (p < 0.05) and meibomian glands yielding liquid secretion score (MGYLS) (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
These results indicate that the SPEED questionnaire is a valid and repeatable instrument for measurement of dry eye symptoms. The correlation of the SPEED score with clinical measures of meibomian gland function suggests potential additional clinical value for the diagnosis and/or management of meibomian gland dysfunction.
Keywords: 486 cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye •
468 clinical research methodology •
465 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: systems/equipment/techniques