Use of SPEED and OSDI Questionnaires in Dry Eye Care

Use of SPEED and OSDI Questionnaires in Dry Eye Care

Most patients only measure eye health in terms of 20/20 vision. That’s a problem.

Dry eye disease is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in optometry—not because doctors don’t care, but because structured tools often aren’t built into the process. That’s where the TFOS DEWS II SPEED questionnaire and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) come in.

These standardized dry eye questionnaires give practices a simple, repeatable way to collect objective data before the exam. The result: better triage, better patient communication, and better outcomes.

Why Structured Questionnaires Matter

Many eye clinics skip questionnaires entirely when onboarding a dry eye patient. Sometimes the only intake question asked is: “Why are you scheduling this appointment?” While helpful, it doesn’t capture the full picture of a patient’s symptoms or history.

The SPEED and OSDI tools provide a more complete, off-the-shelf framework for dry eye diagnosis. Both are concise, evidence-based, and easy to integrate into a practice workflow.

What SPEED and OSDI Measure

  • Symptoms Assessment – Frequency and severity of dryness, burning, grittiness, blurred vision.

  • Environmental Factors – Exposure to air conditioning, wind, heating, humidity.

  • Medication & Health History – Conditions or treatments linked to ocular surface disease.

  • Contact Lens Use – Discomfort, dryness, or fluctuating vision with lens wear.

  • Current Treatments – SPEED, for example, asks about use of artificial tears or lubricating drops.

The SPEED questionnaire is scored up to 28, offering objective measurements that help track changes over time. The OSDI adds context around environmental triggers and contact lens use, providing complementary insights.

Key Benefits for Practices and Patients

Using structured dry eye questionnaires delivers five major advantages:

  1. Efficiency – Patients complete questionnaires before their visit, freeing exam time for treatment and education.

  2. Improved Conversations – Doctors can skip basic fact-finding and dive into meaningful dialogue.

  3. Diagnostic Accuracy – Quantifiable data supports clearer diagnosis and more tailored treatment plans.

  4. Patient Empowerment – Patients reflect on their symptoms, noticing patterns they might otherwise ignore.

  5. Priming Patients – Questionnaires normalize the idea that eye health involves more than just visual acuity, preparing patients for the dry eye conversation.

Why It Matters Now

Many patients arrive at the clinic without any context for dry eye disease. They assume irritation comes from lack of sleep or allergies. By using SPEED and OSDI, you’re not only gathering valuable diagnostic data—you’re also reframing how patients think about their eye health.

In a space where structured frameworks for dry eye care are limited, these questionnaires offer clarity, consistency, and credibility.

Quick FAQs for Providers

Q: Can they be used with all patients, even those without suspected dry eye?
 A: Absolutely. They establish a baseline and often reveal issues patients didn’t realize were significant.

Q: Do they slow down the intake process?
 A: No. They actually save time during the visit by front-loading symptom gathering.

Final Takeaway

Incorporating the TFOS DEWS II SPEED questionnaire and the OSDI into your dry eye protocol is one of the simplest ways to improve both diagnosis and patient experience.

These tools:

  • Standardize how you triage dry eye patients

  • Provide objective data to track progress

  • Prime patients for more meaningful conversations

For doctors, the message is clear: don’t skip the questionnaire. For patients, it’s a proactive step toward understanding and managing ocular surface health.

Ready to upgrade your dry eye workflow? Peeq Pro offers resources, training, and patient-friendly tools to help you build a modern, efficient dry eye protocol. Contact us at info@peeqpro.com to learn more.

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