Purpose: To understand patients' perspectives on living with dry eye disease (DED), and on the unmet needs in DED and chronic ocular surface pain (COSP) management.
Methods: A moderated, structured discussion with patients with ocular surface diseases and healthcare professionals (HCPs) was conducted using a virtual platform to capture patients' journey with DED, their opinion on unmet needs, and design and conduct of clinical trials in DED and COSP.
Results: Nine participants, including four patient representatives from patient organisations, one ophthalmologist and one optometrist participated in the discussion. Patients had DED of varying severity and aetiology; three patients had Sjögren's. Over 4 weeks, 785 posts were entered on the platform. Prior to diagnosis, patients rarely associated their symptoms with DED. Convenience and symptomatic relief scored higher than treating the disease. Patients expressed the need for plain language information and dialogue with knowledgeable and sensitive HCPs. Online forums and social media were suggested as key recruitment resources, whereas convenience and safety concerns were highlighted as main barriers to enrolment. The need for the inclusion of outcome measures that have a real impact on patients' experience of their condition was highlighted. Both target product profiles were received positively by participants, highlighting the twice-daily dosing regimen and convenience of the products. Participants acknowledged the value of digital tools and suggested the need to feel valued post-trial.
Conclusions: This moderated dialogue provided actionable insights on the unmet needs in DED and useful inputs for consideration when designing future clinical trials for DED and COSP.
Keywords: Dry eye disease; interactive dialogue; ocular surface pain; patient engagement; patient journey; patient life experience; patient recruitment; patients’ perspectives; study design challenges; unmet needs.