When ranked, the top 10 outcomes chosen were ocular burning, ocular discomfort, ocular pain, ocular dryness, visual acuity, overall assessment of surface symptoms, ocular foreign body sensation, tear film stability, artificial tear use, and adverse events.
Of the 28 outcomes deemed “important” by the surveyed population, 10 were found to be uncommon in current research.
When asked when patients would like these outcomes to be measured if they were to participate in a clinical trial, over 75% preferred a 3-month period for ocular burning, discomfort, pain, and foreign body sensations, as well as impact of dry eye in daily life, tear film stability, and costs of treatment. In comparison, a majority of patients agreed that outcomes such as satisfaction of treatment, ocular fatigue, and vision-related quality of life should be measured between 3 and 6 months.
With these data, according to Dr. Saldanha, researchers can maximize consistency across trials as well as contribute to better evidence-based medicine.