Abstract
Purpose: :
Little is known about the characteristics and experiences of glaucoma patients cared for by community-based optometrists. We describe the patient reported quality of life and satisfaction with care among these patients enrolled in a trial to improve quality of care.
Methods: :
Baseline telephone surveys were conducted among the first 567 patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of interventions to improve the quality of care for glaucoma patients cared for among 63 community-based optometry practices. Surveys included the NEI-VFQ, SF-12, and the CAHPS (consumer assessment of health plans survey) patient satisfaction questionnaire.
Results: :
The median age of the patients was between 65 and 74, with 47% having a high school or lower education. Overall, they were highly satisfied with the care provided by community-based optometrists for glaucoma, with 69% rating their optometrist a "10" ("best") on a 1 to 10 scale, and another 28% an 8 or 9. NEI-VFQ scores ranged from a low of 72 for the dependency domain to a high of 97 for color vision. Most domains scored between 82 and 90. SF-12 composite scores were 56 for the mental and 45 for the physical component scores.
Conclusions: :
Patients with glaucoma cared for by community-based optometrists have moderate decrements of vision related quality of life on the NEI_VFQ and the physical component of the SF-12. They are highly satisfied with the care that they receive. Additional correlation with clinical information being collected as part of the ongoing trial will provide additional insights into the experiences of patients with glaucoma cared for in the community setting by optometrists.
Clinical Trial: :
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00672048
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: biostatistics/epidemiology methodology • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials