Health Utility Values Among Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy, Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and Cataract in Thailand: A Multicenter Survey Using Time Trade-Off, EQ-5D-5L, and Health Utility Index 3

Objectives: This study aimed to establish normative health utility data in Thai patients with diabetic retinopathy, wet age-related macular degeneration, and cataract; evaluate the sensitivity of different utility instruments to visual impairment; explore the relationship among these health utility values with the vision-specific quality of life (QoL); and assess the association of baseline characteristics and visual acuity level with health utility values and vision-specific QoL. 

Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional survey included 309 patients from tertiary eye centers. We used health utility instruments (time trade-off [TTO], EuroQol five-dimension [EQ-5D-5L], and Health Utility Index 3 [HUI3]) and vision-specific QoL instrument (National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire) for face-to-face interviews. Demographic data and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity were recorded during the participants ophthalmic visits. Univariable and multivariable mixed-effect models were used to evaluate factors associated with the utility scores. Health utility scores among each type of eye disease were compared. 

Results: The overall mean utility values from the TTO, EQ-5D-5L, and HUI3 were 0.84 ± 0.25, 0.70 ± 0.19, and 0.68 ± 0.26, respectively. The health utility scores obtained from TTO and HUI3 showed a significant response to severe visual impairment or worse. Health utility scores from HUI3 (r = 0.54; P < .01) and EQ-5D-5L (r = 0.43; P < .01) displayed a moderate correlation with the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire score. There were no significant differences in health utility value among the 3 diseases upon adjusting for the visual acuity level and demographics. 

Conclusions: Visual acuity level has a greater impact on a patient's QoL than the type of eye disease. HUI3 and EQ-5D-5L and TTO are suitable for measuring health utility in leading causes of blindness.