The Enduring Experience in Dry Eye Diagnosis: A Non-Interventional Study Comparing the Experiences of Patients Living With and Without Sjögren’s Syndrome

Introduction Previous studies have examined the patient experience regarding the diagnosis and management of dry eye disease (DED). The current study explored the ways in which the DED diagnostic pathway differs for those living with and without Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), to identify aspects that influence the patient experience and associated quality of life (QoL). Methods An observational/descriptive, non-interventional, retrospective, self-reported online survey was conducted among adults living in France, Spain and Italy who were diagnosed with DED (with/without SS), were using topical DED treatments (≥ 6 months), and were not contact lens users. Recruitment was via an online database for non-SS participants and through local patient advocacy groups for SS respondents. Results The analysis included 827 respondents; 416 (50.3%) had SS and 82% were female. The mean age was 55 (SD 11; range 16–99) years. The mean age at diagnosis was 46 (SD 12; range 13–78) years and 50 (SD 10; range 21–73) years for SS and non-SS groups, respectively (p