Impact of Dry Eye Disease on Work Productivity
abstract
This abstract is available on the publisher's site.
Access this abstract nowPURPOSE
To assess the effect of dry eye disease on work productivity and performance of non-work-related activities, and patients' satisfaction with over-the-counter (OTC) dry eye treatments.
METHODS
In this prospective, noninterventional, cross-sectional study, conducted at 10 U.S. optometry/ophthalmology practices, 158 symptomatic dry eye patients naïve to prescription medication underwent standard dry eye diagnostic tests and completed Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaires. Use of OTC dry eye medication, and satisfaction with OTC medication and symptom relief were also assessed.
RESULTS
On average, dry eye resulted in loss of 0.36% of work time (∼5 minutes over 7 days) and ∼30% impairment of workplace performance (presenteeism), work productivity, and non-job-related activities. Presenteeism and productivity impairment scores showed significant correlation with OSDI total (r = 0.55) and symptom domain (r = 0.50) scores, but not with dry eye clinical signs. Activity impairment score showed stronger correlation with OSDI total (r = 0.61) and symptom domain (r = 0.53) scores than with clinical signs (r ≤ 0.20). Almost 75% of patients used OTC dry eye medication. Levels of patient satisfaction with OTC medication (64.2%) and symptom relief from OTC (37.3%) were unaffected by administration frequency (≥3 vs. ≤2 times daily).
CONCLUSIONS
Dry eye causes negligible absenteeism, but markedly reduces workplace and non-job-related performances. Impairment of work performance is more closely linked to dry eye symptoms than to clinical signs. Patients' perceptions of OTC dry eye medication tend to be more positive than their perceptions of symptom relief.
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Additional Info
Impact of Dry Eye Disease on Work Productivity, and Patients' Satisfaction With Over-the-Counter Dry Eye Treatments
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci 2016 Jun 01;57(7)2975-2982, KK Nichols, J Bacharach, E Holland, T Kislan, L Shettle, O Lunacsek, B Lennert, C Burk, V PatelFrom MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.