Validity assessment of checklist as a screening tool for ocular involvement in leprosy

This study aims to test the validity of an early-detection checklist for ocular involvement in leprosy. A checklist was designed according to signs and symptoms of ocular leprosy, based on suggestions from dermatovenereologists and ophtalmologists. Leprosy patients in the Dermatology and Venereology Outpatient Clinic of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital were examined by a general practitioner (non-ophtalmologist) using the checklist as a screening tool, and re-examined by an ophtalmologist as gold standard. Data analysis was conducted to determine the validity and sensitivity of the screening tool. The checklist has good validity and reliability with a correlation value of 0.664 (p < 0.05), Cronbach’s α of 0.715, 85.42% sensitivity, and 73.33% specificity. The prevalence of ocular involvement in this study was 77%, with dry eyes, cataract, madarosis, lagophtalmos, and glaucoma as the most common ocular complications found. The validity and sensitivity of the screening checklist in this study are sufficient to detect ocular involvement in leprosy.