Study: Usefulness of OSDI

We keep saying it... we keep saying it... I hope more doctors will start employing it! This is a great, EASY, quick little tool for assessing dry eye symptoms. That the results don't correlate with Schirmer should not be thought of as a drawback - since there has always been lack of correlation between symptoms and schirmer scores no matter how you measure them.

Ocular surface disease index for the diagnosis of dry eye syndrome

Ozkura F et al, Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2007 Sep-Oct;15(5):389-93.

Purpose: Evaluation of ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire for the diagnosis of dry eye syndrome. Methods: Sixty-eight patients admitted to the Ophthalmology Polyclinic of the Dumlupinar University between December 2005 and April 2006 were randomly studied. The OSDI questionnaire was performed before, and the Schirmer and tear film breakup time (TBUT) tests were performed after the routine ophthalmologic examination. Results: There was a significant inverse correlation between the OSDI and TBUT test scores, but no correlation between the Schirmer test scores and OSDI (r = -.296, p = .014, r = -.182, p = .138, respectively). Although there was a significant difference between the low and high OSDI having cases according to the TBUT test scores (p = .043), there was not according to the Schirmer test scores. Conclusions: The OSDI is a standardized instrument to evaluate symptoms, and can easily be performed and used to support the diagnosis of dry eye syndrome.

And by the way, in case you don't have a copy handy, here's a link to a downloadable copy of OSDI.