Caregiver Burden in Patients Receiving Ranibizumab Therapy for Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE To assess the caregiver burden and factors determining the burden in patients receiving ranibizumab therapy for neovascular AMD (nAMD). METHODS This is a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 250 matched patient caregiver dyads across three large ophthalmic treatment centres in United Kingdom. The primary outcome was the subjective caregiver burden measured using caregiver reaction assessment scale (CRA). Objective caregiver burden was determined by the caregiver tasks and level of care provided. The factors that may predict the caregiver burden such as the patient's visual acuity of the better eye and vision related quality of life, demographics, satisfaction and support provided by the healthcare and the health status of the dyads were also collected and assessed in a hierarchical regression model. RESULTS The mean CRA score was 3.2±0.5, similar to the score reported by caregivers for atrial fibrillation who require regular hospital appointments for monitoring their thromboprophylaxis. Caregiver tasks including accompanying for hospital appointments for eye treatment and patient's visual acuity in the better eye were the biggest contributors to the caregiver burden hierarchical model explaining 18% and 11% of the variance respectively. CONCLUSION Ranibizumab therapy for nAMD is associated with significant caregiver burden. Both disease impact and treatment frequency contributed to the overall burden.