Quality of Life in Glaucoma Patients

Abstract

Glaucoma affects the quality of life (QoL) of millions of people. Patients with glaucoma have a reduced QoL in early stage disease, which worsens as the disease progresses. Reduced visual function is the main determinant of poor QoL in glaucoma, however ocular surface discomfort, psychological factors, and social constraints contribute to the burden of disease. The assessment of QoL in glaucoma is important in clinical practice to assessing a patient’s wellbeing, visual function and level of satisfaction with their care. It can be used to make important therapeutic decisions and allow clinician and patient to share common, realistic goals leading to better treatment outcomes. Quality of life assessment is increasingly important in clinical research. Various tools have been used to assess QoL in glaucoma, including general health-related questionnaires, vision-specific questionnaires, glaucoma-specific questionnaires, utility value assessments and objective visual function assessment. These tools are summarized and critically appraised in this article.