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Ophthalmology residents underestimate impact of low vision on quality-of-life
Can J Ophthalmol. 2009;44(6):692-696.
Ophthalmology residents tended to underestimate the influence of visual impairment on overall quality-of-life, according to a study.
"They can gain a better appreciation of such an impact by using low-vision simulators during daily activities," the authors said.
The study included 29 ophthalmology residents. Four types of low-vision simulators were used: central loss, peripheral loss, hemianopia and overall blur. The residents wore the simulators while executing daily activities included in the Visual Function-14 (VF-14) questionnaire.
Investigators analyzed VF-14 scores after the low-vision exercises and studied utility values before and after the exercises.
Results showed that after the exercises, the residents in the peripheral loss and overall blur groups recorded markedly different utility values. Data showed that changes in utility values were similar for senior and junior residents.
"On the basis of the mean VF-14 scores of the four simulators, the residents considered overall blur to be the most serious visual impairment and hemianopia to be the least," the authors said.