Objective:

To evaluate the characteristics, treatment, and diagnostic practices for patients with dry eye disease (DED) using real-world data, focusing on those diagnosed on or after January 1, 2016.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Predominantly female population (80%) with a mean age of 61 years.
• Cataract was the most common ocular comorbidity; hyperlipidemia (45%) and hypertension (43%) were the most common nonocular comorbidities.
• Only 10% of patients had used other therapies prior to lifitegrast, indicating a large untreated population.
• Dry eye diagnostic testing was underutilized; only 3.9% had an abnormal tear breakup time.
• Racial distribution included approximately 55% White, 5% Black, 5% Asian, 9% other, and 25% unknown.

Interpretation:

The study reveals significant comorbidities in DED patients and highlights the underutilization of diagnostic testing, indicating a need for improved management strategies to address these gaps.

Limitations:

• The study may not fully represent all demographics due to the predominance of certain racial and ethnic groups, potentially affecting the generalizability of the findings.
• Data on diagnostic tests was incomplete, with a high percentage of unknown results.

Conclusion:

This real-world study underscores the need for better diagnostic practices and treatment strategies for DED patients.

Attribution Notice

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.