Patient reported outcomes in glaucoma: associations between the NEI VFQ‐25 and the GQL‐15 and clinical measures of visual function

Purpose To examine associations between visual function measurements and patient‐reported outcomes as assessed by vision‐specific National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire(NEI‐VFQ25) and glaucoma‐specific Glaucoma Quality of Life 15(GQL‐15) Methods NEI‐VFQ25 & GQL‐15 were self administered. LogMAR visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), stereoacuity and visual field (VF) testing with Humphrey Field Analyzer were performed. To estimate the binocular VF defect severity, 2 scores were generated: the average Visual Field Index (mVFI) and the binocular integrated visual field (IVF). Correlations were examined using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results To date, 54 glaucoma patients were included(mean age 65.1±12.9 yrs). The group mean mVFI index was 79.6 ±26 % and IVF score was 9 ±19.5. NEI VFQ composite scores were strongly associated with VF defect severity (mVFI rho = 0.61, p < 0.001; IVF rho = ‐ 0.55, p < 0.001), worse VA and CS (VA worse eye rho = ‐0.44, p = 0.01; CS worse eye rho = 0.55, p < 0.001) and poorer stereoacuity (rho = ‐0.35, p = 0.01). GQL scores were also associated with VF defect severity, worse eye VA, worse eye CS and stereoacuity, but to a lesser extent (mVFI: rho = ‐0.47, p < 0.01; IVF: rho = 0.38, p < 0.01; VA worse eye = 0.37, p = 0.05; CS worse eye rho = ‐0.43, p<0.01; stereoacuity rho = 0.31, p < 0.05). Conclusion The perceived difficulties experienced by glaucoma patients appear to be related to many aspects of visual function. This interim analysis shows that clinical measures of visual ability are better correlated with the NEI VFQ than the GQL‐15. This suggests the former maybe more sensitive to the experiences reported by glaucoma patients.