DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h44j0zpv3
title: Utility index and vision related quality of life in patients awaiting specialist eye care

description: 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.
description: # Utility Index and Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients Awaiting
 Specialist Eye Care
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h44j0zpv3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h44j0zpv3) The study titled "Utility Index and Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients Awaiting Specialist Eye Care" is a a health utility study that aims to assess the utility in individuals referred by primary care to a specialized ophthalmology service. Additionally, as a secondary objective, we aimed to investigate the relationship between waiting times, utility index, and demographic predictors influencing user perception. A total of 536 individuals participated in the study from four public health services: two in the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul (Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre and Hospital da Restinga e Extremo Sul, both in Porto Alegre), the southernmost state of Brazil, and two in smaller inland municipalities (Outpatient Specialty Clinic and Municipal Health Foundation, both in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul). The study database is available on Dryad. It encompasses all variables utilized in the study presentation. The "Data" folder contains the dataset, while the "Dictionary" folder provides descriptions for each variable utilized in the analysis. ## Description of the data and file structure We applied the interviewer-administered version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) questionnaire previously translated and validated for use in Brazil. The questionnaire consists of 25 items comprising 12 subscales, 11 of which are vision-related (global vision, difficulty with near-vision activities, difficulty with distance-vision activities, limitations in social functioning due to vision, role limitations due to vision, dependency on others due to vision, mental health symptoms due to vision, driving difficulties, limitations with peripheral vision, limitations with color vision, and ocular pain), as well as a general health construct. Each subscale consists of a minimum of one and a maximum of four questions. The scoring algorithm calculates results on a scale of 0 to 100, with higher scores representing better visual functioning. An electronic version of the questionnaire was generated in the SurveyToGo application (Dooblo, Israel) and administered by interviewers with tablet computers. Demographic data (age, sex, place of residence) and waiting time from referral to the day of the scheduled visit were also collected. External investigators collected all data before patients entered the ophthalmologist’s office. ## Sharing/Access information Four public health services were selected for recruitment of participants: two in the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul (Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre and Hospital da Restinga e Extremo Sul, both in Porto Alegre), the southernmost state of Brazil, and two in smaller inland municipalities (Outpatient Specialty Clinic and Municipal Health Foundation, both in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul).