Abstract
Purpose: :
To correlate and compare the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire, with the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, and to correlate both questionnaires with a clinical sign, lipid layer thickness (LLT). The OSDI questionnaire has been utilized in clinical trials reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Methods: :
Patients presenting for routine eye examinations were recruited (n=86, 61 females and 25 males, mean age = 51.8 ± 14.6 yrs). Subjects were asked to complete the SPEED and OSDI questionnaires in random order. No coaching of the subjects was permitted for either questionnaire. Using an interferometer, LLT was also measured on a random subset of the sample (n = 46, 39 females and 7 males, mean age = 47.6 ± 14.8 yrs). Linear regression analyses were used to assess correlation.
Results: :
The SPEED and OSDI questionnaires are significantly linearly correlated: y = 0.68x + 13.04, p < 0.0001, R2 = 29.7%. Both questionnaires target the frequency of dry eye symptoms, although the listed symptoms are not identical, e.g. the SPEED questionnaire refers to eye soreness, grittiness, scratchiness, pain, irritation, burning, watering and fatigue where as the OSDI refers to light sensitivity, eye pain, grittiness, or soreness and blurred or poor vision. In addition, the SPEED questionnaire includes questions on the severity of symptoms; the OSDI does not. The SPEED questionnaire also includes the 3-months prior to completing the questionnaire where as the OSDI only covers 1-week prior to completing the questionnaire. The OSDI questionnaire contains questions regarding environmental and task specific triggers to dry eye symptoms (e.g. air conditioning, wind, low humidity, using a computer, reading, driving and watching television); SPEED does not. Both questionnaires are significantly correlated with LLT. SPEED: R2 = 16.4%, p=0.003, OSDI: R2 = 10.4%, p=0.02.
Conclusions: :
This is the first report comparing the previously published SPEED questionnaire to the ODSI questionnaire. It is also the first report correlating each questionnaire with LLT. The questionnaires differ but they both aim to capture accurately patients’ dry eye symptoms and also monitor the efficacy of various dry eye treatments. These results highlight the questionnaire differences while revealing a significant correlation between the overall symptom scores captured by each questionnaire in addition to correlating those scores with an objective dry eye sign.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye • quality of life • anterior segment