![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
![Publish Open Access Finland]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110396/JournalAd-OA-Agreements.gif"})
Background
Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) are becoming increasingly recognised as a key component in assessing the relative effectiveness of cataract surgery. This manuscript presents the protocol methodology and baseline characteristics of a prospective cohort study investigating patient‐centred predictors of cataract surgery outcomes.
Methods
Patients with bilateral cataract (aged ≥ 50 years) scheduled for their first eye cataract surgery were recruited at four public hospitals and three private ophthalmology clinics in Sydney, Australia. Participants underwent a comprehensive assessment of clinical measures of vision (for example, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity) and PROMs prior to first eye surgery and three months after first and second eye surgery. The PROMs of interest included health‐related quality of life, visual disability and satisfaction with vision.
Results
The characteristics of the baseline cohort of 359 participants are reported in this manuscript. Enrolment occurred over a two‐year period with the majority recruited from urban public hospitals (96 per cent, n = 345). Health‐related quality of life was scored highly (80 out of 100). Self‐reported visual disability was considered within normal ranges compared to cataract populations in other high‐income countries (−0.94 logits). Three‐quarters of participants (n = 263/351) were dissatisfied with their pre‐operative vision.
Conclusions
There is a complex and wide range of patient‐centred experiences prior to first eye cataract surgery in the public hospital setting. Gaining further insight into the patient perspective may allow eye health professionals to more appropriately time surgery, better manage patient expectations and provide direction for future prioritisation initiatives of cataract wait lists. Companion papers will follow, detailing results of surgery in terms of PROMs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (Ophthalmology Network) for funding this research project, and the Departments of Ophthalmology at Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital, Westmead Hospital, Bankstown‐Lidcombe Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney Private Hospital, Vision Eye Institute Chatswood and Macquarie Street Eye Laser Centre. VQD is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award.