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

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..., , , # 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 Grand...