Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

NG77/2

Question

Quality of life in cataract surgery:- What vision-specific, quality-of-life measures best capture visual changes in a population with cataracts?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important: - Although visual acuity is still commonly used to decide whether cataract surgery is needed, it is a crude measure that will often fail to detect other vision problems that may justify surgery (for example, glare and loss of colour vision). The best possible decision-making aids would be measures of preoperative and postoperative vision-related quality of life, which could then be used to identity groups of people who do not have an improvement in quality of life after surgery. However, most prioritisation criteria are based primarily on visual acuity and visual function (usually measured using the VF-14), which capture only part of the impact of a cataract on quality of life.

The development and validation of suitable vision-specific, quality-of-life measures would aid the decision-making process for cataract surgery, and help to accurately quantify the quality of life gains that may be expected from surgery. Particular consideration should be given to people with learning disabilities/cognitive impairment, or any other groups who may find it more difficult to self-report their own symptoms or quality of life.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Cataracts in adults: management

Number

NG77

Date issued

October 2017

Other details