Health-related quality of life questionnaire for corneal anaesthesia patients: a content validity assessment

FACE-Q Craniofacial Module is a validated patient-reported outcome measure for appearance. This study aimed to assess the content validity of FACE-Q Craniofacial Module for use in patients treated for corneal anaesthesia.

This was a qualitative, prospective observational study. Cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with patients ≥8 years old who had surgical treatment for corneal anaesthesia at least six months before time of study. Two rounds of interviews gathered feedback on the comprehensibility, comprehensiveness, and relevance of three eye scales and checklists and four health-related quality-of-life scales. Based on the input from participants, ophthalmologists, scientists, and patient advocates, the scales and checklists were modified, then further refined.

Feedback on the FACE-Q scales and checklists was obtained from 10 participants. Instructions for the scales were modified to enhance comprehensibility. Eleven items were revised for enhanced comprehensibility and relevance. Twelve items were added to enhance comprehensiveness. Four items were removed due to their irrelevance to appearance or corneal anaesthesia. Modifications to the eye and health-related quality-of-life scales were generally condition-specific and generic, respectively. A comment section was added to the end of each scale and checklist.

The FACE-Q demonstrates strong potential for adaptation to measure appearance outcomes in corneal anaesthesia patients. With lived expertise, clinical, and scientific input, the content validity of FACE-Q was improved for use in corneal anaesthesia patients. The modified FACE-Q is now ready for psychometric evaluation and further validation. Meeting Presentations: Poster Presentation at 2023 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.