Prototype master protocol for benchmarking of real-world follow-up data in glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Informatics
• Data Science

Background:

• Real-world data (RWD) is crucial for understanding glaucoma progression and treatment effectiveness.
• Standardized methods are needed to benchmark glaucoma RWD across different healthcare systems.
• The Finnish aces-rwm ecosystem aims to improve care through digital innovation and RWD monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a prototype master protocol for benchmarking glaucoma RWD.
• To establish a framework for comparing glaucoma patient data across institutions.
• To support the Finnish aces-rwm digital innovation strategy.

Main Methods:

• Collected glaucoma RWD from Tampere University Hospital (Tays) between 2012-2017.
• Compared Tays data with six published RWD sets from Sweden and England.
• Analyzed visual field (VF) and mean deviation (MD) data, considering age and intraocular pressure (IOP).

Main Results:

• Higher age correlated with faster glaucoma progression in most datasets.
• Glaucoma progression rates at Tays were comparable to a published English RWD trial.
• Significant variability exists in the reporting of findings across published glaucoma RWD datasets.

Conclusions:

• This study is a foundational step towards a master protocol for benchmarking glaucoma care using RWD.
• Further protocol refinement requires national and international collaboration.
• Developing comparable RWD sets is essential for advancing glaucoma research and care.