18-item measure reliable for symptom burden in glaucoma

(HealthDay)—A shortened glaucoma symptom measure based on the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) Symptom and Health Problem Checklist (SHPC) is reliable for evaluating glaucoma symptoms, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues developed a shortened glaucoma symptom measure based on the CIGTS 43-item SHPC and assessed its psychometric properties. Data were obtained from October 1993 through April 1997 for 607 participants enrolled at 14 clinical centers with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma. The authors assessed the reliability of the 18-item questionnaire (SHPC-18) and associations of the Local Eye and Visual Function subscales of the SHPC-18 with visual field severity and 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ25) subscales.

The researchers found that the Cronbach α values for mean weighted internal consistency were 0.83 and 0.89 for the Local Eye and Visual Function symptom subscales, respectively; over time, these remained stable. On each subscale, scores were significantly correlated with the NEI-VFQ25 total score and with all subscale scores. Compared to those with mild glaucoma at baseline, participants with more severe glaucoma had higher (worse) mean scores on the Local Eye and Visual Function SHPC-18 subscales.

"This shorter version of the original SHPC measure may be useful in clinical and research settings to better understand the influence of glaucoma symptoms on patients' daily life," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to medical technology companies related to glaucoma.

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