The Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership (SLV-PSP): overview and results of the research prioritisation survey process.

OBJECTIVES: The Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership aimed to identify research priorities relating to sight loss and vision through consultation with patients, carers and clinicians. These priorities can be used to inform funding bodies' decisions and enhance the case for additional research funding. DESIGN: Prospective survey with support from the James Lind Alliance. SETTING: UK-wide National Health Service (NHS) and non-NHS. PARTICIPANTS: Patients, carers and eye health professionals. Academic researchers were excluded solely from the prioritisation process. The survey was disseminated by patient groups, professional bodies, at conferences and through the media, and was available for completion online, by phone, by post and by alternative formats (Braille and audio). OUTCOME MEASURE: People were asked to submit the questions about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sight loss and eye conditions that they most wanted to see answered by research. Returned survey questions were reviewed by a data assessment group. Priorities were established across eye disease categories at final workshops. RESULTS: 2220 people responded generating 4461 submissions. Sixty-five per cent of respondents had sight loss and/or an eye condition. Following initial data analysis, 686 submissions remained which were circulated for interim prioritisation (excluding cataract and ocular cancer questions) to 446 patients/carers and 218 professionals. The remaining 346 questions were discussed at final prioritisation workshops to reach agreement of top questions per category. CONCLUSIONS: The exercise engaged a diverse community of stakeholders generating a wide range of conditions and research questions. Top priority questions were established across 12 eye disease categories.

Modelling the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (2010-2020) in the UK: expected impact of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.

AIMS: To project the number of cases with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the numbers with attributable sight loss in the UK in 2010-2020, taking into account the expected beneficial effect of the new anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies. METHODS: A 'system dynamics' approach was used in constructing the model to simulate the dynamics of the disease in large populations. The model computed the pool of affected cases over the simulation period, taking into account the expected demographic changes. Other determinants taken into account included: prevalence; incidence; mortality; and the expected efficacy and coverage of anti-VEGF treatment. RESULTS: In the UK, 608,213 persons in 2010 are estimated to have AMD, and this is expected to increase to 755,867 by the end of the decade. Numbers with sight loss from AMD are expected to rise from 223,224 in 2010 to 291,982 by 2020. Cases with sight loss due to neovascular AMD are expected to increase from 145,697 to 189,890 by the end of the decade. CONCLUSIONS: The model predicts that the beneficial effects of the treatment would be outweighed by the strong anticipated demographic 'ageing' effect. This reaffirms the importance of continuing efforts to develop more effective and more broadly applicable therapies for AMD.

Eye health and sight loss: the UK Vision Strategy.

The UK Vision Strategy is a Vision 2020 UK initiative, led by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to develop a unified plan for action on all issues relating to eye health and sight loss across the four countries of the UK. The Strategy was developed in response to a World Health Assembly resolution of 2003, which urged the development of national plans to tackle sight loss. Launched in April 2008, the UK Vision Strategy is a bold, ambitious plan to radically improve the eye health of the nation, eliminate avoidable sight loss, improve services to people, including children, with sight loss, and increase inclusion in society for blind and partially sighted people. Health and social care professionals joined the voluntary sector, Government representatives, service users and individuals with experience of sight loss to develop the Strategy. Local groups of health and social service professionals and service users are being formed across the UK to find ways to implement the Strategy. Any health professional with an interest in this work can contribute to their local group either through their professional representative on the group or directly.