Table 3.

Benefits and issues of T&E compared with PRN from the patient/caregiver perspective as understood by the treating ophthalmologist

Benefits
Able to tangibly experience treatment efficacy through the sustained period of macular dryness	• Patients know that their treatment is working when their injection intervals increase • Treatment intervals can be adjusted to meet patient needs while maximizing the period of dryness
Decrease in emotional burden associated with receiving intraocular injections	• Since their injection schedule is determined months ahead, patients are emotionally prepared on the day of injection, decreasing their emotional burden toward treatment • Patients become proactive toward treatment as their symptoms stabilize with the preventive injections
Decrease in patient/caregiver time burden	• Scheduling visits with patients’ family members is easier as the majority of patients are elderly and require accompaniment by their family members • The number of treatments that had to be postponed because family members were unable to accompany patients to the clinic has decreased • Visits only have to be once every few months
Issues
Increased financial burden for the patients	• The financial burden may increase since the number of injections increases with T&E • Explaining the administration method is difficult without any aides, which makes it more difficult for patients to accept the financial burden • It is difficult to explain to patients how long they need to continue their injections with the lack of long-term evidence
Worry of complications	• The risk of infections may increase with the increased number of injections

Abbreviations: PRN, pro re nata; T&E, treat-and-extend.