Comparison of Two Questionnaires for Dry Eye Symptom Assessment

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare patient reported symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) as assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI©), a 12-item symptom frequency-based questionnaire, and the Symptom Assessment iN Dry Eye (SANDE), a 2-item frequency- and severity-based visual analog scale. Design Clinic-based evaluation of diagnostic test. Participants One hundred fourteen patients with dry eye disease. Methods Patients were administered the OSDI and SANDE questionnaires at baseline and follow-up visits to evaluate dry eye disease-related symptoms. The correlations between both questionnaires’ scores were evaluated using the Spearman coefficient and their clinical differences were assessed using the Bland-Altman analysis. Main Outcome Measures Baseline and follow-up visit OSDI and SANDE dry eye symptom scores. Results At the baseline visit, the OSDI and SANDE questionnaire scores significantly correlated (R = 0.64; P <0.001). Moreover, a significant correlation was found between changes in the OSDI and SANDE scores from baseline to follow-up visits (R = 0.47; P <0.001). A Bland-Altman analysis, after score normalization, revealed a difference (bias) of less than two centesimal units between the scores of the two questionnaires. Conclusions Data collected from the SANDE questionnaire showed a significant correlation and negligible score differences with those from the OSDI, suggesting that the SANDE visual analog scale-based questionnaire has the potential to provide clinicians with a short, quick and reliable measure for DED symptoms.