Sains Malaysiana 47(10)(2018): 2447–2454

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4710-21

 

Quality of Life in Patients with Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration (n-AMD) Seen in a Public Hospital of Malaysia

(Kualiti Hidup Pesakit dengan Neovascular Degenerasi Makular Berkaitan Umur (n-AMD) yang dilihat Hospital Awam di Malaysia)

 

 

Rituparna Ghoshal¹, Sharanjeet Kaur¹*, Norliza Mohamad Fadzil¹, Somnath Ghosh¹, NorFariza Ngah¹ & Roslin Azni Binti Abd Aziz²

 

¹Optometry & Vision Science Program, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abd Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

²Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Shah Alam, Persiaran Kayangan, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

Received: 29 January 2018/Accepted: 20 June 2018

 

ABSTRACT

 

The purpose of the present study was to assess quality of life (QOL) in n-AMD patients seen in a Malaysian public hospital and to further identify visual and demographic factors that may contribute to QOL scores of these patients. Patients with any form of n-AMD in at least one eye were recruited from hospital’s ophthalmology department. Bahasa Malaysia version of National Eye Institute Visual function questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) was administered to all participants. Demographics, visual functions (VF) including best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), contrast sensitivity (CS), near visual acuity (NVA) and reading speed (RS) were recorded. Eighty-six patients (Malay=26, Indian=23, Chinese=37) aged 52 to 85 years, diagnosed with n-AMD were chosen to participate. Their mean NEI-VFQ composite score (NEI-VFQ CS) was 66.91 ± 13.07. However, no significant difference in NEI-VFQ CS between gender, races and between the two sub groups of n-AMD were observed (p>0.05). NEI-VFQ CS showed a significant association with RS (correlation coefficient (ρ) =0.627), NVA (ρ = -.660), BCDVA (ρ = -.586), CS (ρ =.0.515). A linear model showed that a combination of BCDVA, NVA, CS is accounted for a significant 38 % variability of NEI-VFQ CS (R2 =0.382, p<0.001). In conclusion, the QOL of Malaysian n-AMD patients were found to be low. Thus, the study results indicated the need of developing necessary management strategies to address this QOL issues in n-AMD patients in Malaysia. Furthermore, the present study suggested incorporating appropriate VF such as near acuity, contrast sensitivity, reading speed in clinical settings while assessing n-AMD patients as these VF explain the patient’s perception about the impact of this disease.

 

Keywords: Neovascular AMD (n-AMD); visual functions (VF); vision targeted quality of life (VTQOL)

 

ABSTRAK

 

Tujuan penyelidikan ini adalah untuk menilai kualiti hidup (QOL) dalam pesakit n-AMD yang mendapat rawatan di hospital awam Malaysia dan seterusnya mengenal pasti faktor visual dan demografi yang mungkin menyumbang kepada markah QOL bagi pesakit ini. Pesakit yang mempunyai n-AMD pada sekurang-kurangnya satu mata telah diambil daripada jabatan oftalmologi hospital. Soal selidik-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) fungsi Institut Visual Mata Nasional versi Bahasa Malaysia diberikan kepada semua peserta. Demografi, fungsi visual (VF) termasuk jarak visual ketajaman diperbetulkan terbaik (BCDVA), sensitiviti kontra (CS), ketajaman visual dekat (NVA) dan kelajuan bacaan (RS) telah direkodkan. Enam puluh lapan pesakit (Melayu = 26, India = 23, Cina = 37) berumur antara 52 dan 85 tahun, didiagnos dengan n-AMD telah memilih untuk mengambil bahagian. Min skor komposit NEI-VFQ (NEI-VFQ CS) mereka ialah 66.91 ± 13.07. Walau bagaimanapun, tiada perbezaan yang signifikan dalam NEI-VFQ CS antara jantina, kaum dan antara dua kumpulan kecil n-AMD diperhatikan (p> 0.05). NEI-VFQ CS menunjukkan hubungan bererti dengan RS (pekali korelasi (ρ) =0.627), NVA (ρ = -.660 ), BCDVA (ρ = -.586 ), CS (ρ =.0.515 ). Model linear menunjukkan bahawa gabungan BCDVA, NVA, CS menerangkan perbezaan 38% CS NEI-VFQ (R2 = 0.382, p< 0.001) yang ketara. Kesimpulannya, QOL n-AMD pesakit Malaysia didapati adalah rendah. Oleh itu, keputusan kajian menunjukkan perlunya keperluan membangunkan strategi pengurusan untuk mengatasi isu QOL pada pesakit n-AMD di Malaysia. Selain itu, kajian kini mencadangkan penggabungan VF yang sesuai seperti ketajaman dekat, sensitiviti kontra, kelajuan membaca dalam situasi klinikal sambil menilai pesakit n-AMD apabila VF ini menerangkan kepada persepsi pesakit tentang kesan penyakit ini.

 

Kata kunci: Fungsi visual (VF); neovaskular AMD (n-AMD); Visi sasaran kualiti hidup (VTQOL)

 

 

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*Corresponding author; email: sharanjeet@ukm.edu.my