Article
Did PDT fulfill the expectations of the multicenter trial results in Health Services Research?
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Published: | June 29, 2009 |
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Background: In several multicenter trials PDT has established as effective therapy in wet AMD. Since October 2000 PDT was acknowledged as new therapeutical method in health care system. Within the health service research it is questioned whether results of multicenter trials can be maintained in clinical practice.
Methods: Retrospective study of 414 patients treated with PDT after October 2000 according to the guidelines of the DOG. Major criterion: average visual acuity (aVA); adjacent criteria: lesion size, FLA-findings, complications and number of treatments. The results were compared to the TAP- and VIP-Study by Wilcoxon-Test.
Results: 243 (58.7%) female and 171 (41.3%) male patients, on average 76 years (min/max. 41/94 y). AVA previous to PDT was 50.07 out of 100 letters (SD 15.7). After treatment 62 (14.9%) patients achieved improvement in aVA from 17.9 out of 100 letters to 60.3 letters (SD 14.1) on average, 186 (44.9%) stabilization of aVA to 50.3 letters (SD 17.1) on average, 166 (40.1%) declined in aVA from 23.1 to on average 29.7 letters (SD 15.5), accordant to an overall letter rating of all groups of von 43.58. In comparison to TAP- (39.4) and VIP (47)-study no significant difference (p<0.05) resulted.
Conclusions: PDT in the health system exhibited comparable results to TAP- and VIP-Study. With PDT, multicenter study results can be regained in therapeutic reality.