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A utility analysis correlation with visual acuity: methodologies and vision in the better and poorer eyes

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Abstract

Objective: To ascertain the correlation between visual acuity levels and ophthalmic utility values obtained using time tradeoff and standard gamble utility analysis methodologies. Methods: Three hundred twenty-five consecutive patients with visual loss to 20/40 or less in at least one eye with predominantly vitreoretinal pathology were evaluated in a cross-sectional fashion using a standardized testing methodology to obtain ophthalmic time tradeoff and standard gamble utility values. Spearman correlation coefficients were employed to correlate the utility values with visual acuity in better seeing and poorer seeing eyes. Results: The Spearman correlation coefficient for time tradeoff utility values and vision in the better seeing eye was 0.455 (p < 0.001), while that for time tradeoff utility values and visual acuity in the poorer seeing eye was 0.268 (p < 0.001). The coefficient for standard gamble utility values and the better seeing eye was 0.371 (p < 0.001), while that for standard gamble utility values and vision in the poorer seeing eye was 0.250 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: There is a greater correlation between ophthalmic utility values and vision in the better seeing eye, as versus vision in the poorer seeing eye. Time tradeoff ophthalmic utility values demonstrate a greater correlation with vision in the better seeing eye than do standard gamble utility values.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Evidence-Based Health Care Economics Flourtown, PA, USA

    Melissa M. Brown, Gary C. Brown & Jennifer Landy

  2. Cataract and Primary Eye Care Service, USA

    Melissa M. Brown

  3. Medical Economics Unit, Retina Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Gary C. Brown & Andrew F. Smith

  4. Center for Cost-Effective Ocular Health Policy, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    Sanjay Sharma

Authors
  1. Melissa M. Brown
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  2. Gary C. Brown
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  3. Sanjay Sharma
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  4. Andrew F. Smith
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  5. Jennifer Landy
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Brown, M.M., Brown, G.C., Sharma, S. et al. A utility analysis correlation with visual acuity: methodologies and vision in the better and poorer eyes. Int Ophthalmol 24, 123–127 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021171000838

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021171000838

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