Patients reported improved daily functioning after vision rehabilitation

Patients with low vision reported significant improvements in activities of daily living and functioning after receiving vision rehabilitation, according to a study by researchers in West Virginia.

J. Vernon Odom, PhD, and colleagues at West Virginia University investigated the effect of vision rehabilitation on the daily activities of 105 patients. All patients completed a 20-question survey before and after completing a rehabilitation program.

The researchers found that patients showed the largest improvement in their ability to read both ordinary and small print, such as newspapers and telephone books. Patients also showed moderate improvements in their abilities to perform work or hobbies requiring near vision, distinguishing items on crowded shelves and reading print in bills, according to the study, published in the May issue of Ophthalmic Epidemiology.