The FACE-Q Eye Module, a patient-reported outcomes measure, is a promising practice, research and quality improvement tool for surgeons who perform cosmetic eye treatments, according to an original investigation, published online September 15, in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Surgeons, including FACE-Q developers, at plastic surgery clinics in the U.S. and Canada reported on 233 cosmetic eye surgery patients who had completed the FACE-Q cosmetic eye treatment section before and after their surgeries. FACE-Q is a patient-reported outcomes measure that includes more than 40 independently functioning scales and checklists measuring appearance appraisal, care process, quality of life and adverse effects for areas of the face, including the eyes. The four scales in the FACE-Q Eye Module measure (1) appearance of the eyes, (2) upper and (3) lower eyelids and (4) eyelashes. The module also includes a checklist measuring post-blepharoplasty adverse events.
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The module takes only minutes to complete, according to an accompanying commentary on the paper by Lisa E. Ishil, M.D., MHS.
The 233 patients in the study represented an 81% response rate. The researchers found higher scores on the eye scales correlated with fewer adverse effects, including eyelid scars, dry eye and eye irritation, according to the study’s abstract.
According to the FACE-Q scales, participants reported notably better scores on the appearance of their eyes overall, as well as specifically on the upper and lower eyelids, post- versus pretreatment. And, in the pretreatment group, older age patients tended to report lower scores than younger patients on scales measuring appearance of the eyes and upper and lower eyelids, according to the study’s abstract.
This and other patient-reported outcome tools let surgeons learn from patients about patients’ perceptions of their outcomes. Use of the tools for gathering patient feedback is a growing opportunity in medicine — the data from which can be incorporated into the ultimate evaluations of surgical outcomes, according to the commentary.
“One can imagine a time in the not too distant future when prospective patients inquire about surgeon [patient-reported outcomes measure] data for procedures in the same manner they now inquire about before and after photographs,” Dr. Ishil writes. “We surgeons will be best served by having these data available proactively.”
