title: The VF-14. An index of functional impairment in patients with cataract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the development and the performance of a brief questionnaire designed to measure functional impairment caused by cataract (the VF-14).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited between July 15 and December 15, 1991.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were recruited from the practices of 70 ophthalmologists, located in Columbus, Ohio (N = 21), St Louis, Mo (N = 26), and Houston, Tex (N = 23).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred sixty-six patients undergoing cataract surgery for the first time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative best corrected visual acuity in each eye; scores on the VF-14, a new index of functional impairment in patients with cataract; patient reports of overall trouble and satisfaction with their vision; and scores on the Sickness Impact Profile, a measure of general health status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VF-14 has high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .85) and correlates more strongly with the overall self-rating of the amount of trouble and satisfaction patients have with their vision than do several measures of visual acuity or the Sickness Impact Profile score. The VF-14 score is moderately correlated with visual acuity in the better eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VF-14 is a reliable and valid measure of functional impairment caused by cataract and provides information not conveyed by visual acuity or a general measure of health status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tielsch
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Schein
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Javitt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharkey
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cassard
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Legro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diener-West
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Bass
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Damiano
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014785:Vision, Ocular