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Utility index and vision-related quality of life in patients awaiting specialist eye care

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Listed:
  • Aline Lutz de Araujo
  • Bruna Stella Zanotto
  • Ana Paula Beck da Silva Etges
  • Karen Brasil Ruschel
  • Taís de Campos Moreira
  • Felipe Cezar Cabral
  • Erno Harzheim
  • Marcelo Rodrigues Gonçalves
  • Roberto Nunes Umpierre
  • Fabiana Carvalho
  • Rodolfo Souza da Silva
  • Carisi Anne Polanczyk

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to ascertain utility and vision-related quality of life in patients awaiting access to specialist eye care. A secondary aim was to evaluate the association of utility indices with demographic profile and waiting time. Methods: Consecutive patients that had been waiting for ophthalmology care answered the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). The questionnaire was administered when patients arrived at the clinics for their first visit. We derived a utility index (VFQ-UI) from the patients’ responses, then calculated the correlation between this index and waiting time and compared utility across demographic subgroups stratified by age, sex, and care setting. Results: 536 individuals participated in the study (mean age 52.9±16.6 years; 370 women, 69% women). The median utility index was 0.85 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.70–0.92; minimum 0.40, maximum 0.97). The mean VFQ-25 score was 70.88±14.59. Utility correlated weakly and nonsignificantly with waiting time (-0.05, P = 0.24). It did not vary across age groups (P = 0.85) or care settings (P = 0.77). Utility was significantly lower for women (0.84, IQR 0.70–0.92) than men (0.87, IQR 0.73–0.93, P = 0.03), but the magnitude of this difference was small (Cohen’s d = 0.13). Conclusion: Patients awaiting access to ophthalmology care had a utility index of 0.85 on a scale of 0 to 1. This measurement was not previously reported in the literature. Utility measures can provide insight into patients’ perspectives and support economic health analyses and inform health policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Aline Lutz de Araujo & Bruna Stella Zanotto & Ana Paula Beck da Silva Etges & Karen Brasil Ruschel & Taís de Campos Moreira & Felipe Cezar Cabral & Erno Harzheim & Marcelo Rodrigues Gonçalves & Robert, 2024. "Utility index and vision-related quality of life in patients awaiting specialist eye care," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(8), pages 1-11, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0307691
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307691
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Afschin Gandjour, 2014. "Capturing Disutility from Waiting Time," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 423-424, April.
    2. Feng Xie & A. Pickard & Paul Krabbe & Dennis Revicki & Rosalie Viney & Nancy Devlin & David Feeny, 2015. "A Checklist for Reporting Valuation Studies of Multi-Attribute Utility-Based Instruments (CREATE)," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 33(8), pages 867-877, August.
    3. Bishai, David M. & Lang, Hui Chu, 2000. "The willingness to pay for wait reduction: the disutility of queues for cataract surgery in Canada, Denmark, and Spain," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 219-230, March.
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    5. Victoria Brennan & Simon Dixon, 2013. "Incorporating Process Utility into Quality Adjusted Life Years: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 31(8), pages 677-691, August.
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