Willingness to trade life for better vision: A study of time trade-off among glaucoma patients in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to determine the time trade-off (TTO) among glaucoma patients at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Rivers State Nigeria. Materials and method: This was a hospital-based study at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital of the time trade-off utility of glaucoma patients aged 18 years and older with no history of coexisting ocular pathology or chronic illness. Subjects were selected by a simple random sampling method, and a time trade-off utility questionnaire was administered. Ocular examinations done included visual acuity, applanation tonometry, gonioscopy, and slit-lamp examination using a + 78 diopter lens; refraction was also done for each patient. Perimetry was done using standard achromatic perimetry with a fast threshold central 24-2 strategy. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS (Version 20), and the P-value was set at <0.05. Result: Two hundred and ninety-nine (299) subjects participated in the study. There were 141 males (47%) and 158 females (53%) giving a male: female ratio of 1:1.12. The age range was 20 to 86 years with a mean age of 53.61± 14.23 years. The mean score of time trade-off among the study population was 0.84 ± 0.1417 (95% CI 0.82–0.86). Worsening BCVA in the better eye (P=0.025) was shown to be the only predictive factor of lower TTO quality of life. Conclusion: This study shows that there is a reduced time trade-off quality of life among this cohort of glaucoma patients. Therefore, it is important for ophthalmologists to bear this in mind, noting the important role of counseling in the management of glaucoma patients.