Quality of Life – A Key Tool to Success in Optometry Practice

Tharaniy VE, M. Optom

Assistant Professor, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, India

 

Introduction:

Vision is the primary sense organ which aids the person to do their day to day activities. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, globally 1.1 billion people are visually impaired. ⁽¹⁾ This visual impairment can be avoided by timely diagnosis and management. ⁽¹⁾ The burden faced by people due to ocular conditions can be reduced by improving the quality of life.

Health related quality of life:

In recent years, health related quality of life plays an important role in the medical and research field. ⁽²⁾ Health related quality of life helps to improve the health services. ^{(2, 3)} Quality of life is widely developing in all health- related fields except in ophthalmology. (2,3)

According to the World Health Organisation, quality of life is defined as the “person satisfaction to meet their goals, expectations, standards and concern based on their culture”. ⁽²⁾

Quality of life is essential for medical decision making.⁽²⁾ Quality of life assess the following areas, given in figure 1.⁽⁴⁾ It helps to understand the difficulties faced by the patients due to health-related conditions.⁽²⁾ Thus, quality of life enhance or modify the treatment.⁽²⁾ Figure 2 explains the areas that can be enhance using the quality of life.⁽²⁾

Quality of life can be measured using the instrument called questionnaire. ⁽³⁾ The questionnaire consists of a set of questions with a score or scale. The total score helps to understand the areas of difficulties faced by the patient.

Figure 1. Assessment of Quality of life
Courtesy. The figure was prepared by the author.

Quality of life in Optometry:

In Optometry, quality of life questionnaires can be used to assess the day-to-day activities by directing questions to assess the difficulties faced by the patient before and after the treatment. It can also be used to understand the reasons behind the delay in seeking help from eye care professionals as well as diagnosis.

Quality of life after cataract surgery was developed first, later glaucoma, optic neuritis etc. ⁽³⁾ A few available visions related quality of life questionnaire are National Eye Institute Visual Function – 25 (NEI-VFQ 25), Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS), Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness Questionnaire (SPEED), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Low Vision Quality of Life questionnaire (LVQOL).

In Optometry practice, examination and management of the patient is not enough to avoid visual impairment. Quality of life can be assessed in regular eye examinations. Understanding the issues related to the quality of life and providing appropriate treatment helps in reducing the patient’s burden. Thus, it enhances the individual’s quality of life.

Figure 2. Enhancement of quality of life
Courtesy. The figure was prepared by author.

Conclusion:

Appropriate diagnosis treatment and improving patient satisfaction through quality-of-life assessment leads to a successful optometry practice.

 

References:

1. https://www.iapb.org/learn/vision-atlas/ [Last accessed 12^th May 2024, 8.45pm]
2. Haraldstad K, Wahl A, Andenæs R, Andersen JR, Andersen MH, Beisland E, Borge CR, Engebretsen E, Eisemann M, Halvorsrud L, Hanssen TA. A systematic review of quality of life research in medicine and health sciences. Quality of life Research. 2019 Oct;28:2641-50.
3. Heravian Shandiz J, Momeni Moghaddam H, S Wolffsohn J, Karimpour M. Reliability Testing and Validating a Persian Translation of the Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire. Available at SSRN 4242203.
4. Yingyong P. Evaluation of the thai, low vision quality-of-life questionnaire (LVQOL). Medical journal of the Medical Association of Thailand. 2007 Dec 1;90(12):2658.