Costs and Quality of Life in Diabetic Macular Edema: Canadian Burden of Diabetic Macular Edema Observational Study (C-REALITY)‎

Abstract EN

Purpose.

To characterize the economic and quality of life burden of diabetic macular edema (DME) in Canadian patients.

Patients and Methods.

145 patients with DME were followed for 6 months with monthly telephone interviews and medical chart reviews at months 0, 3, and 6.

Visual acuity in the worst-seeing eye was assessed at months 0 and 6.

DME-related healthcare costs were determined over 6 months, and vision-related (National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire) and generic (EQ-5D) quality of life was assessed at months 0, 3, and 6.

Results.

Mean age of patients was 63.7 years: 52% were male and 72% had bilateral DME.

At baseline, visual acuity was categorized as normal/mild loss for 63.4% of patients, moderate loss for 10.4%, and severe loss/nearly blind for 26.2%.

Mean 6-month DME-related costs/patient were as follows: all patients ( n = 135 ), $2,092; normal/mild loss ( n = 88 ), $1,776; moderate loss ( n = 13 ), $1,845; and severe loss/nearly blind ( n = 34 ), $3,007.

Composite scores for vision-related quality of life declined with increasing visual acuity loss; generic quality of life scores were highest for moderate loss and lowest for severe loss/nearly blind.

Conclusions.

DME-related costs in the Canadian healthcare system are substantial.

Costs increased and vision-related quality of life declined with increasing visual acuity severity.