Enrollment in the Zoster Eye Disease Study.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) is a serious ocular condition.
• The Zoster Eye Disease Study (ZEDS) aims to evaluate the efficacy of prolonged suppressive valacyclovir for HZO complications.
• Current enrollment in ZEDS is significantly below projected targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers to participant enrollment in the Zoster Eye Disease Study (ZEDS).
• To explore potential strategies for overcoming these enrollment barriers.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous internet survey was administered to ZEDS investigators.
• The survey assessed investigator perceptions of patient and personal barriers to enrollment.
• Investigator opinions on the effectiveness of enrollment strategies were collected.

Main Results:

• A 54% response rate was achieved among ZEDS investigators.
• A majority of investigators agreed that HZO patients prefer antiviral treatment over randomization (69%) and that antivirals are effective (91%).
• Investigators reported that current enrollment strategies have been largely ineffective, with over half seeing potential in social media advertising.

Conclusions:

• Investigator confidence in antiviral efficacy and patient preference for treatment over randomization present significant barriers to ZEDS enrollment.
• Novel approaches are required to facilitate enrollment and establish an evidence-based standard of care for HZO treatment.