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Editors Selection IGR 12-4

Visual Function Questionnaire

Comment by Rohit Varma on:

24060 Interactive, computer-based, self-reported, visual function questionnaire: the PalmPilot-VFQ, Unver YB; Yavuz GA; Sinclair SH, Eye, 2009; 23: 1572-1581

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Unver et al. (970) evaluated the performance, reliability, and validity of using a Palm Pilot to self-administer a visual function questionnaire (PalmPilot-VFQ) in retina clinic patients. Use of the Palm Pilot-VFQ was compared to the interviewer-administered-National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire- 25 (interviewer-NEI-VFQ-25) and the self-administered-NEI-VFQ-25 (self-NEI-VFQ). Of patients included in this study, 90% were able to successfully complete the PalmPilot- VFQ . This method eliminated the need for trained interviewers and potentially reduced bias in responses. The 17 items used in the final analysis showed both internal consistency (Cronbach's ≤= 0.89) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.79). Tests of concurrent validity showed a significant association (p < 0.0001) between PalmPilot- VFQ scores and general vision responses; tests of convergent validity showed strong correlations between the PalmPilot-VFQ and the interviewer-NEI-VFQ-25, the habitual corrected visual acuity in the better-seeing eye, and the visual analog scale questions (p = 0.0001). The PalmPilot-VFQ reduced the performance time to a mean of 2.25 minutes, compared with 11.2 minutes for the self-NEIVFQ- 25 and 6.8 minutes for the interviewer-NEI-VFQ-25. However, all participants who tested the PalmPilot-VFQ would have already been administered the interviewer-NEI-VFQ-25 on a previous visit less than three months prior. The improvement in performance time may have simply been a result of familiarity with the questions. The number and demographics of potential participants that were excluded due to exclusion criteria, were not included in this paper. If those included in the study were only a small minority of the retina clinic patients, staff would still need to be hired and trained to administer the questionnaire to others. Potentially, those who were excluded from this study may be of most interest from a disease management standpoint. Overall, this is an interesting and innovative study, with significant potential for application for other questionnaires in other fields of research. Specifically this method should be further tested in patients with other diseases including glaucoma.

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