Dataset Information

Developing the specifications of an open angle glaucoma screening intervention in the United Kingdom: a Delphi approach.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Early detection is advocated but there is insufficient evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to inform health policy on population screening. Primarily, there is no agreed screening intervention. For a screening programme, agreement is required on the screening tests to be used, either individually or in combination, the person to deliver the test and the location where testing should take place. This study aimed to use ophthalmologists (who were experienced glaucoma subspecialists), optometrists, ophthalmic nurses and patients to develop a reduced set of potential screening tests and testing arrangements that could then be explored in depth in a further study of their feasibility for evaluation in a glaucoma screening RCT.

Methods

A two-round Delphi survey involving 38 participants was conducted. Materials were developed from a prior evidence synthesis. For round one, after some initial priming questions in four domains, specialists were asked to nominate three screening interventions, the intervention being a combination of the four domains; target population, (age and higher risk groups), site, screening test and test operator (provider). More than 250 screening interventions were identified. For round two, responses were condensed into 72 interventions and each was rated by participants on a 0-10 scale in terms of feasibility.

Results

Using a cut-off of a median rating of feasibility of ?5.5 as evidence of agreement of intervention feasibility, six interventions were identified from round 2. These were initiating screening at age 50, with a combination of two or three screening tests (varying combinations of tonometry/measures of visual function/optic nerve damage) organized in a community setting with an ophthalmic trained technical assistant delivering the tests. An alternative intervention was a 'glaucoma risk score' ascertained by questionnaire. The advisory panel recommended that further exploration of the feasibility of screening higher risk populations and detailed specification of the screening tests was required.

Conclusions

With systematic use of expert opinions, a shortlist of potential screening interventions was identified. Views of users, service providers and cost-effectiveness modeling are now required to identify a feasible intervention to evaluate in a future glaucoma screening trial.

SUBMITTER: Campbell SE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3563574 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Developing the specifications of an open angle glaucoma screening intervention in the United Kingdom: a Delphi approach.

Campbell Susan E SE Azuara-Blanco Augusto A Campbell Marion K MK Francis Jillian J JJ Greene Alexandra C AC Ramsay Craig R CR Burr Jennifer M JM

BMC health services research 20121205

<h4>Background</h4>Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Early detection is advocated but there is insufficient evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to inform health policy on population screening. Primarily, there is no agreed screening intervention. For a screening programme, agreement is required on the screening tests to be used, either individually or in combination, the person to deliver the test and the location where testing should take place. This study aimed to use oph ...[more]

PMID: 23216983

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Project description:The total RNA from control and POAG optic nerve lamina cribrosa region was isolated and subjected to analysis on U133A 2.0 affymetrix microarray chip. The results from these two analysis was compared to determine whether PAD II RNA level is altered. Purpose of the study. This study was done to determine which RNA transcripts undergo significant changes in the optic nerve between normal and cadaver primary open-angle glaucoma donors. Using donor tissues from NDRI we have performed proteomic analyses (which will be published shortly), we intend a comparison between the proteomic and RNA changes for select proteins in our study. Sample Collection and Preparation of Labeled Copy RNA; The total RNA from optic nerve was obtained using TRIZOL (Invitrogen Inc., Carlsbad, CA) with modification of recommended protocols. The optic nerve from donor eyes were carefully excised and minced into small pieces first using a scissor and then a scalpel. Prior to use tissue was washed with DEPC water and all solutions were prepared in DEPC water. The minced tissue was placed in a glass homogenizer with 1 ml TRIZOL per 100 mg of tissue and homogenized in a glass homogenizer DUALL 20 (Kimble Kontes Glass Co, Vineland, NJ) with 10 strokes cycles each at room temperature and after freezing with liquid nitrogen for 1 min for 40 cycles. This RNA was extracted with chloroform, isoamylalcohol and precipitated with sodium citrate/sodium chloride and isopropanol. The final air-dried RNA precipitate was suspended in DEPC water and stored in â??80oC prior to use. RNA was prepared for hybridization according to the GeneChip Expression Analysis Technical Manual (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). The hybridization was performed at Gene Expression Array Core Facility at Case Western Reserve University (www.geacf.net). The RNA sample was cleaned using a column from a Qiagen RNeasy kit, (part # 74104 ) in accordance with the manufacturerâ??s instructions. The volume of DEPC water used to elute the RNA from the Qiagen column was dictated by the nominal mass of the loaded RNA sample. Samples were eluted in 100ml of water, precipitated with 0.5 volume of 7.5M Ammonium Acetate and 2.5 volumes of 100% ethanol at -20oC for 1 hr and centrifuged for 10 min at room temperature. The pellet was drained and washed twice in 500Âµl of 70% ethanol. Supernatant was aspirated. The pellet was dried briefly (less than 1 min) in a speeedvac (Savant) and re-suspended in a small volume (~ 12â??15ml) of DEPC water. A small aliquot (2ml) of the sample was used for quantitation. Cleaned RNA samples were annotated as â??clnRNAâ?? and stored at -20oC. cDNA Synthesis; The protocol recommended by Affymetrix Inc. for cDNA synthesis was used at all times. The reaction was primed by annealing an oligo-dT primer coupled to a T7 RNA polymerase promoter to the RNA sample. 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Dataset Information

Developing the specifications of an open angle glaucoma screening intervention in the United Kingdom: a Delphi approach.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Developing the specifications of an open angle glaucoma screening intervention in the United Kingdom: a Delphi approach.

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