Dry Eye Symptom Screens Show Modest Accuracy
In head-to-head comparisons, two of five dry eye screens showed a statistically significant ability to detect signs of the disorder, but all demonstrated relatively modest diagnostic accuracy, researchers say, according to a Reuters report.
Several dry-eye symptomology questionnaires are available. However, their accuracy as screening instruments “can be influenced by the multifactorial nature of dry eye disease, and the complex inter-relationships between ocular surface inflammation, tear film homeostasis, somatosensory pathways, and symptomatic experiences,” said Dr. Michael TM Wang and Jennifer P. Craig of the New Zealand National Eye Centre at the University of Auckland in a joint email to Reuters Health.
Recently, the international Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop II (TFOS DEWS II) recommended the use of the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and 5-item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) as part of the dry eye diagnostic criteria.