Does non-strabismic amblyopia affect the quality of life of adults? Findings from a qualitative study

Constructing country-specific quality-of-life item banks for adults with amblyopia and strabismus in Australia and India

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Understanding the quality-of-life (QoL) impacts of amblyopia and strabismus from the perspectives of patients using validated tools would enable eye care practitioners to provide better clinical management.

BACKGROUND

Item banks are advanced patient reported outcome measures with several advantages over traditional QoL assessment. This paper describes the development of amblyopia and strabismus-specific QoL item banks for two distinct country settings: Australia (high-income) and India (low-middle income) and examines the unique QoL issues.

METHODS

Using a bottom-up systematic approach, the content for the item banks was identified from three sources: existing self-report amblyopia and strabismus questionnaires (n = 22), qualitative literature (n = 5) and prospective qualitative studies in Australia (n = 49) and India (n = 30). The initial item pool underwent item evaluation, construction, and pre-testing to form optimal sets of representative items. The Indian item pools were first developed in English and translated into Hindi and Tamil using a rigorous translation protocol. The differences in QoL experiences that emanated from the qualitative studies and the number of common and unique items in the final item pools were compared.

RESULTS

The final Australian and Indian item pools comprised 312 and 277 items, respectively, covering 11 QoL domains. Two hundred and sixty items (79%) were common to both countries, and 21% were unique. Of the 11 domains, except for activity limitation (64.5%), visual symptoms (73.3%) and emotional impact (75.5%) domains, all other domains had over 80% of items common to both countries. The unique items can be attributed to differences in QoL experiences, individual perspectives, culture, lifestyle, country setting and health systems.

CONCLUSION

Amblyopia has a multifaceted impact on QoL irrespective of the country settings. Despite a huge overlap in QoL impacts between Australia and India, both countries had unique issues, especially activity limitations. The study developed comprehensive, country-specific item pools for Australia and India.

Amblyopia-A novel virtual round table to explore the caregiver perspective

PURPOSE

A survey aimed to capture the caregiver's perspective on the impact of amblyopia and its treatment on the child and family, as well as caregivers' views on the design and feasibility of clinical trials investigating dichoptic binocular therapies for amblyopia.

METHODS

Parents of amblyopic children, patient advocates and healthcare professionals took part in a moderated, structured discussion on a novel virtual advisory-board platform.

RESULTS

Seven parents of children with amblyopia, two patient organisation representatives, one ophthalmologist and one optometrist participated in the survey. A total of 645 posts were entered on the platform over a 14-day period in September 2021. There was widespread agreement that the management of amblyopia poses more of a burden on the child and family than the condition itself, with treatment burden accentuated when treatment is unsuccessful. Parents expressed uncertainty and frustration in relation to the duration of patching, success of patching and alternative treatment options, and felt there was inadequate readily available, easy-to-understand information on the condition. Parents reported that a new treatment for amblyopia, such as dichoptic binocular therapy using video games, should be safe, non-invasive and engaging compared with an eye patch. Treating at home, potentially for a shorter treatment duration, and with an entertaining game were the main reasons parents would join a clinical study with this type of novel therapy. However, due to a limited critical period treatment window, parents would feel more comfortable joining a clinical trial if traditional therapies were offered in conjunction with those under investigation.

CONCLUSION

Patient perspectives and the role of caregivers in the acceptance of any interventional treatments are increasingly recognised. Understanding how amblyopia and its treatment impacts a child and family should be an important premise to guide therapy and evaluate treatment value, both in clinical trials and in routine medical practice.

Qualitative Exploration of the Visual Function Impairments and Health-Related Quality of Life Impacts of Amblyopia in Adult and Pediatric Populations

INTRODUCTION

Amblyopia is a reduction in vision in one or both eyes due to impaired development of the visual pathway. This study explored the experience of amblyopia and treatment from the patient, caregiver, and clinician perspectives.

METHODS

A targeted literature review, including a review of social media listening (SML) studies, was conducted. Next, qualitative interviews were conducted with amblyopia patients, caregivers of children with amblyopia, and ophthalmologists with experience treating patients with amblyopia. The findings informed the development of a disease model. Amblyopia clinical experts provided input at key stages.

RESULTS

Twelve data sources were reviewed, including qualitative studies in the literature and SML studies. Overall, 133 patients/caregivers were interviewed (23 adults, 16 adolescents, 47 child-caregiver dyads), plus 10 ophthalmologists from the United States, France, and Germany. Reduced visual acuity, impaired depth perception, impaired peripheral vision, and double vision were the most frequently reported symptoms. Amblyopia impacted daily activities (reading, using digital devices), the ability to move around, school/work (productivity, seeing the board in class), emotional well-being (frustration, sadness), and social functioning (difficulty socializing). Treatments, including patching and corrective lens, also impacted daily activities (using digital devices, sports/leisure), mobility (bumping into things), and work/school (tasks taking longer) as well as emotional well-being (embarrassment), and social functioning (bullying/stigma).

CONCLUSION

The findings contribute valuable insights into the adult and pediatric experience of amblyopia from a multi-stakeholder perspective. The findings were used to critically assess existing clinical outcome assessments and supported the development of patient- and observer-reported outcome measures for use in amblyopia clinical trials.

A population-level post-screening treatment cost framework to help inform vision screening choices for children under the age of seven

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

Visual acuity (VA) screening in children primarily detects low VA and amblyopia between 3 and 6 years of age. Photoscreening is a low-cost, lower-expertise alternative which can be carried out on younger children and looks instead for refractive amblyopia risk factors so that early glasses may prevent or mitigate the conditions. The long-term benefits and costs of providing many children with glasses in an attempt to avoid development of amblyopia for some of them needs clarification. This paper presents a framework for modeling potential post-referral costs of different screening models once referred children reach specialist services.

METHODS

The EUSCREEN Screening Cost-Effectiveness Model was used together with published literature to estimate referral rates and case mix of referrals from different screening modalities (photoscreening and VA screening at 2, 3-4 years and 4-5 years). UK 2019-20 published National Health Service (NHS) costings were used across all scenarios to model the comparative post-referral costs to the point of discharge from specialist services. Potential costs were compared between a) orthoptist, b) state funded ophthalmologist and c) private ophthalmologist care.

RESULTS

Earlier VA screening and photoscreening yield higher numbers of referrals because of lower sensitivity and specificity for disease, and a different case mix, compared to later VA screening. Photoscreening referrals are a mixture of reduced VA caused by amblyopia and refractive error, and children with amblyopia risk factors, most of which are treated with glasses. Costs relate mainly to the secondary care providers and the number of visits per child. Treatment by an ophthalmologist of a referral at 2 years of age can be more than x10 more expensive than an orthoptist service receiving referrals at 5 years, but outcomes can still be good from referrals aged 5.

CONCLUSIONS

All children should be screened for amblyopia and low vision before the age of 6. Very early detection of amblyopia refractive risk factors may prevent or mitigate amblyopia for some affected children, but population-level outcomes from a single high-quality VA screening at 4-5 years can also be very good. Total patient-journey costs incurred by earlier detection and treatment are much higher than if screening is carried out later because younger children need more professional input before discharge, so early screening is less cost-effective in the long term. Population coverage, local healthcare models, local case-mix, public health awareness, training, data monitoring and audit are critical factors to consider when planning, evaluating, or changing any screening programme.

The Amblyopia Quality of Life (AmbQoL): Development and Content Validation of a Novel Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument for Use in Adult and Pediatric Amblyopia Populations

INTRODUCTION

Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental vision disorder, characterized by poor vision in one or both eyes. Given the lack of existing clinical outcome assessments (COA) considered fit-for-purpose for amblyopia clinical trials, this study developed new COAs to assess amblyopia symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impacts in adult and pediatric amblyopia populations that conform with best practice standards and regulatory guidelines.

METHODS

Findings from a targeted qualitative literature review informed the development of three versions of the new Amblyopia Quality of Life Questionnaire (AmbQoL): a patient-reported outcome measure (PRO) for individuals aged 13 years and older, a PRO for children aged 9-12 years, and an observer-reported outcome measure (ObsRO) for caregivers of children aged 4-8 years. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the target populations, and with ophthalmologists experienced in treating amblyopia patients to evaluate the content validity for further development of the AmbQoL. A translatability assessment was conducted to ensure cultural appropriateness and usability across multiple languages. Feedback from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was also sought on the instruments, and clinical experts provided input at key stages.

RESULTS

Interviews were conducted with 112 patients/caregivers and ten ophthalmologists from the USA, France, and Germany. The instructions, items, and response options were well understood across all AmbQoL versions. Feedback from the patients, caregivers, ophthalmologists, the translatability assessment, the FDA, and the expert clinicians informed minor wording modifications to enhance clarity and translatability. Some items were removed due to low relevance. The study resulted in a 23-item adult/adolescent PRO, 24-item child PRO, and 12-item ObsRO, each employing a 7-day recall period.

CONCLUSION

Each AmbQoL version has documented support for its face and content validity for use in amblyopia populations aged ≥ 4 years. Further research is necessary to evaluate the psychometric measurement properties of the AmbQoL instruments to enable their use in amblyopia treatment trials.

Amblyopia: A review of unmet needs, current treatment options, and emerging therapies

Amblyopia is a global public health issue with extensive, multifaceted impacts on vision and quality of life (QoL) for both patients and families. Geographical variation exists in the management of amblyopia, with traditional mainstay treatments, optical correction, and fellow eye occlusion most successful when implemented at an early age. In recent years, however, studies demonstrating meaningful improvements in older children and adults have challenged the concept of a complete loss of visual processing plasticity beyond the critical period of visual development, with growing evidence supporting the potential efficacy of emerging, more engaging, binocular therapies in both adults and children. Binocular approaches aim to restore deficits in amblyopia that extend beyond monocular visual acuity impairment, including binocular fusion and visuomotor skills. In view of this, incorporating outcome measures that evaluate the visual performance and functional ability of individuals with amblyopia will provide a clearer understanding of the effect of amblyopia on QoL and a more comprehensive evaluation of amblyopia therapies.

Adverse Influences of Nonstrabismic Amblyopia on Quality of Life of Teenagers in China

The aim of this study was to explore the influences of nonstrabismic amblyopia on quality of life in adolescents. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scale, a multidimensional construct that indicates a fundamental health outcome, was used to measure physical and psychosocial functioning of the adolescents. Forty teenagers with nonstrabismic amblyopia and 40 control teenagers without nonstrabismic amblyopia were recruited between April 2019 and July 2021. The anthropometric measures, body image, physical activity outcome, and HRQoL scores including physical health, emotional functioning, social functioning, and school functioning were compared between the two groups. The results revealed that teenagers with nonstrabismic amblyopia had less weekly sedentary time (P < 0.001), weekly total steps (P < 0.001), and worse school functioning (P = 0.0211) than control teenagers. No significant difference was found in anthropometric measures and body image between the two groups (P > 0.05). This study implied the needs for teenagers with nonstrabismic amblyopia to enhance physical activities. Teachers and parents are encouraged to pay more attention to teenagers with nonstrabismic amblyopia to improve their school functioning.