Content development for a new item-bank for measuring multifocal contact lens performance

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Presbyopia, an age-related focusing issue, is often managed with multifocal contact lenses (MCLs).
• Patient dissatisfaction with MCLs is common, yet validated tools to measure their perspective are lacking.
• This highlights a critical need for reliable instruments to assess patient experiences with MCLs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive, self-administered item bank for assessing patient perspectives on multifocal contact lens performance.
• The item bank aims to ensure high content validity and will initially be available in Spanish.
• This tool will support research and clinical follow-up for presbyopia patients using MCLs.

Main Methods:

• A systematic, step-wise inductive approach was employed, adhering to COSMIN guidelines.
• Methods included literature review, social media analysis, semi-structured focus groups, and qualitative analysis.
• Items were refined and revised to generate the final item bank content.

Main Results:

• The developed item bank contains 575 items across 8 domains relevant to presbyopic patients.
• Key domains include visual symptoms (213 items), activity limitation (111 items), and ocular symptoms (135 items).
• Other domains cover convenience, emotional well-being, general symptoms, cognitive, and economic issues.

Conclusions:

• A standardized methodology was used to create an item bank for evaluating multifocal contact lens performance.
• The item bank comprehensively captures patient perspectives on MCL performance.
• This tool provides a valuable resource for assessing patient-reported outcomes in optometric practice and research.