Utility values in Japanese patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE

To investigate the utility values associated with visual loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japanese patients.

METHODS

Utility values in 48 Japanese patients with bilateral exudative AMD were measured using the time trade-off and standard gamble methods.

RESULTS

The time trade-off method utility values correlated with the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the better-seeing eye. The estimated utility values according to the BCVA in the better-seeing eye were 0.534 (BCVA, 0.01-0.15), 0.574 (0.2-0.3), 0.613 (0.4-0.6), and 0.653 (0.7-1.0). The utility values obtained by the standard gamble method were not significantly correlated with BCVA in the better-seeing eye.

CONCLUSIONS

The present results concur with those of previous studies showing that AMD causes a substantial decrease in patient utility values. The utility values obtained in the current study provide important information for use in cost-utility analysis of interventions for Japanese AMD patients.