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Psychometric evidence supports the NEI VFQ-25 as a reliable and valid cross-sectional measure of the impact of GA on patient visual function and vision-related quality of life.

Introduction The specific impact from the patient’s perspective of geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is not well understood. Methods An ethnographic study was conducted to understand the impact of bilateral GA secondary to AMD on daily functioning by observing regular activities performed at home and through semi-structured interviews. Eligible subjects had a definitive GA diagnosis, including presence of drusen, GA lesion size of at least one disc area in the better-seeing eye, and no other confounding ophthalmologic diagnosis. Data were collected via video recordings and field notes, and analyzed by coding video transcripts. Results Functional impact domains affecting more than two of the 16 subjects from the United Kingdom, United States, or Germany were activities of daily living (difficulty reading, n = 16; driving, n = 12; and watching movies, television, or theater, n = 11), emotional (frustration, and fear of blindness, n = 7 each), social/leisure (interference with hobbies, n = 8, and diminished social activities, n = 4), physical ( n = 4), and financial ( n = 10). Subjects with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/100 or better in the better-seeing eye ( n = 10) reported similar functional impacts to those with a BCVA of worse than 20/100 in their better-seeing eye ( n = 5). Conclusion This study helps address gaps in patient-focused research into GA, which negatively impacts the day-to-day functioning of patients. Larger qualitative and quantitative studies are needed to quantify patient experiences and assess the correlation between BCVA score and impact of GA. Funding F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Key Points Question Do patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with a surgically implanted port delivery system (PDS) with ranibizumab prefer the PDS over intravitreal injections of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor agents? Findings This phase 3 randomized clinical trial found that treatment satisfaction was high with both PDS and intravitreal treatment, but almost all patients in the PDS arm preferred treatment delivered via the PDS at week 40 vs previous intravitreal injections. Meaning Although PDS treatment was preferred by most patients assigned to PDS over previous intravitreal injections, both delivery methods have high treatment satisfaction.

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