Assessing quality of life in Taiwanese patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy

Background/PurposeThis study investigated the clinical significance of quality of life (QOL) related specifically to Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) among Taiwanese patients.MethodsWe recruited 271 patients with GO who were seen at the National Taiwan University Hospital Department of Ophthalmology from September 1, 2012 to November 30, 2012. Patients completed the GO-QOL Questionnaire. The main outcome measures were the scores on two GO-QOL subscales: visual functioning and appearance. The percentage of responses occurring at the maximum and minimum values was also calculated to assess possible ceiling and floor effects, respectively.ResultsThe mean ± standard deviation QOL scores for the subscales of visual functioning and appearance were 58.39 ± 25.17 and 54.45 ± 20.52, respectively. The scores for both subscales were significantly correlated with disease severity and clinical activity scores (all p < 0.05). The QOL scores for the appearance subscale were significantly correlated with the degree of diplopia (p < 0.05). No significant ceiling or floor effects were observed for either subscale of the GO-QOL.ConclusionScores on the Chinese (Taiwan) version of the GO-QOL were strongly correlated with disease severity and clinical activity. The GO-QOL is a simple and practical tool that can be used to evaluate health-related QOL in GO patients.