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. 2021 Jan 13;5(1):7.
doi: 10.1186/s41687-020-00281-y.

Vision-related quality of life in adults with severe peripheral vision loss: a qualitative interview study

Ryan Lange  1 , Abigail Kumagai  1 , Sara Weiss  1 , Katherine B Zaffke  1 , Sherry Day  1 , Donna Wicker  1 , Ashley Howson  1 , K Thiran Jayasundera  1 , Lori Smolinski  2 , Christina Hedlich  2 , Paul P Lee  1   3 , Robert W Massof  4 , Joan A Stelmack  5 , Noelle E Carlozzi  3   6   7 , Joshua R Ehrlich  8   9
Affiliations

Vision-related quality of life in adults with severe peripheral vision loss: a qualitative interview study

Ryan Lange et al. J Patient Rep Outcomes. .

Abstract

Background: Existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures may not be relevant to the full range of functional and vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) concerns of individuals with vision impairment due to severe peripheral field loss (PFL). Measurement of VR-QOL in severe PFL is important in order to determine the effectiveness of vision rehabilitation interventions for this population. The purpose of this study was to characterize the impact of severe PFL due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and glaucoma on VR-QOL as the initial phase in the development of a novel PRO measure.

Methods: Individuals with severe PFL due to RP or glaucoma were recruited from the Kellogg Eye Center and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Participants completed semi-structured qualitative interviews, the Impact of Vision Impairment (IVI) questionnaire and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey. Interviews were analyzed by two coders using thematic analysis. A matrix analysis was conducted to compare VR-QOL by cause of severe PFL. Sample size was determined by thematic saturation.

Results: The study included 37 participants (19 RP, 18 glaucoma). Median best-corrected visual acuity for those with RP and glaucoma was 20/40 and 20/27.5, while Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity was 1.2 log contrast sensitivity (logCS) and 1.1 logCS, respectively. Median domain scores on the IVI (reading, mobility, well-being) ranged from a low of - 0.2 to a high of 0.7 logits in those with RP and from 0.5 to 1.2 logits in those with glaucoma. Qualitative interviews identified six VR-QOL themes relevant across participants with both RP and glaucoma, including activity limitations, driving, emotional well-being, reading, mobility, and social function. VR-QOL concerns were largely consistent among those with severe PFL due to RP and glaucoma. These overarching themes contained content relevant to specific challenges related to severe PFL.

Conclusions: There are commonly occurring VR-QOL concerns among individuals with severe PFL due to RP and glaucoma. The outlined themes will serve as the basis for development of the Low Vision Severely Constricted Peripheral Eyesight (LV-SCOPE) Questionnaire.

Keywords: Glaucoma; Interview; Low vision; Patient-reported outcome; Peripheral field loss; Peripheral vision; Qualitative research; Retinitis pigmentosa; Vision rehabilitation; Vision-related quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared for any author.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Vision-related quality of life themes. The six quality of life themes that emerged in this study were activity limitation, driving, emotional well-being, mobility, reading, and social function. Representative sub-themes are illustrated
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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