EQ‐5D‐5L health utility scores in Australian adults with inherited retinal diseases: A cross‐sectional survey

Abstract

PurposeEconomic evaluations of interventions for ocular disease require utility scores that accurately represent quality of life in the target population. This study aimed to describe the distribution of EQ‐5D‐5L utility values among Australian adults with symptomatic inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) and to assess the relationship between these scores and vision‐related quality of life.MethodsA survey was administered predominantly online in 2021. Participants completed the EQ‐5D‐5L general health utility instrument, the EQ vertical visual analogue scale (EQ‐VAS) and the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI‐VFQ‐25). Self‐reported IRD diagnoses were classified as being associated with central or widespread retinal involvement.ResultsResponses from 647 participants aged 18–93 years were included, 50.1% were men and 77.6% had an IRD associated with widespread retinal involvement. The majority reported no problems with self‐care and no pain/discomfort but did report anxiety/depression and problems with work, study, housework, or family/leisure activities. Most people with widespread involvement reported problems with mobility. Median EQ‐5D‐5L utility was 0.88 and 0.91 among people with widespread and central involvement, respectively (age and sex‐adjusted p = 0.029); and median EQ‐VAS was 75 and 80, respectively (adjusted p = 0.003). A moderate curvilinear correlation was observed between EQ‐5D‐5L and NEI‐VFQ‐25 composite score (Spearman's ρ 0.69), but not all people with poor vision‐related quality of life had low EQ‐5D‐5L utility values.ConclusionsEQ‐5D‐5L health utility values are correlated with vision‐related quality of life among adults with IRDs. However, the EQ‐5D‐5L may not be sensitive to the full impact of vision impairment on quality of life.