Patient Experience and Barriers to the Visual Field Test for Glaucoma

There are significant mental, physical, and perceptual challenges in patients undergoing visual field testing, particularly in the elderly population with glaucoma.

To quantitatively and qualitatively investigate patient experiences of undergoing visual field testing.

This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study involves adult patients attending a private outpatient ophthalmology clinic in Brisbane, Australia. Participant experiences of visual field testing were assessed using a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS), followed by face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Outcome data comprised of VAS scores (1-100) and thematically analyzed verbatim notes.

Of the 152 participants [M:F 79 (52.0%):73 (48.0%)], the age group with the highest proportion of participants was 71-80 years [n=56 (36.8%)], and most had a primary ocular diagnosis of glaucoma [n=107 (70.4%)]. The mean VAS score for visual field testing experience was 60.45 (SD=30.38). The mean VAS score of participants with glaucoma was significantly lower than that of participants without glaucoma [55.34 (31.13) vs. 72.67 (25.04); P <0.05]. Prevalent themes regarding participant experiences of visual field testing consisted of concentration difficulties, intra-test and peri-test anxiety, skepticism in the testing process, and physical discomfort. Age, sex, and mean visual field index did not influence participant experiences of visual field testing.

Mental and physical barriers to visual field testing tolerability were identified in a predominantly elderly population with glaucoma. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing patient concerns and apprehensions regarding visual field testing and emphasize the value of patient-initiated breaks, particularly for individuals experiencing concentration difficulties and physical discomfort.