Patients prefer low vision devices with general vs. specified magnification
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Results from a clinical trial on the use and efficacy of a virtual bioptic head-mounted video display for low vision showed that patients used the device for nearly half an hour per day on average.
“Currently on the market, there are lots of head-mounted display systems commercially available,” Ashley Deemer, OD, FAAO, from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md., said during her presentation. “As these systems are being developed and frequently implemented in clinical vision rehabilitation, it’s important to evaluate [their] usage and uptake ... in patients’ daily activities.”
Deemer and colleagues randomly assigned patients with low vision to use one of two Samsung Gear VR specifications for 2 to 4 weeks. Group A used a setting that included a magnification bubble embedded in a large unmagnified 70° field of view, while Group B used the “legacy device” that employed a full-screen magnification in a 45° field of view.
“Participants were encouraged to use the device in their daily activities while usage data were tracked and recorded by a sensor when the device is headborne,” Deemer said.
Overall, patients in both groups used the device for an average of 15 to 30 minutes per day and 8.85 days during the trial. Group B had a higher average daily use (42.26 vs. 21.67 minutes; P = 0.03) and average number of days (10.24 vs. 7.38) compared with Group A.
Deemer and colleagues found that about three-fourths of patients found the device to be useful enough to consider purchasing, and most reported it would be helpful enough to recommend to a friend. Of the seven who reported they would want to buy the device, five fell below the median user average.
“Given that the legacy device, which had fewer additional features and the general scene mode, logged more usage per day may be related to the simplicity of the device,” Deemer concluded. “It, therefore, may be prudent to tailor the device to the preferences of each individual patient.”
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Deemer A, et al. Usage of head-mounted video display (HMD) systems during a comparative study home trial. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting; May 6, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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