Quality of life of low-vision patients and the impact of low-vision services.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the functional status and quality of life of patients at a low-vision clinic and to evaluate the impact of low-vision services.


METHODS
Interviews, including the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36), the Visual Function-14 (VF-14), and the 51-item Field Test Version of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ), were administered to 156 consecutive patients 1 week before and 3 months after their low-vision clinic visit.


RESULTS
Low-vision patients scored lower (P < .001) in physical functioning and role limitations caused by physical and emotional health problems than published SF-36 scores of the age-appropriate United States normal population, patients with congestive heart failure, and clinically depressed patients. Low-vision services were associated with improvement in the subjective functional status of 150 patients (98.7%) and were rated "very useful" by 82 (53.9%) patients. The SF-36 scores did not change significantly after low-vision services. The VF-14 mean score improved from 35.8 to 41.2 (P < .001). Four NEI-VFQ subscale scores improved significantly (P < .001): general vision, near activities, distance activities, and peripheral vision.


CONCLUSIONS
The SF-36, VF-14, and NEI-VFQ demonstrate that low-vision clinic patients perceive marked impairment of functional status and quality of life. Low-vision services are associated with high patient satisfaction. Vision-targeted questionnaires are more sensitive than general health-related quality of life questionnaires to changes in functional status and quality of life after low-vision services, and they may help elucidate the outcomes of low-vision services.
Scott
I U
IU
Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33136, USA.
Smiddy
W E
WE
Schiffman
J
J
Feuer
W J
WJ
Pappas
C J
CJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services; D006302:Health Services Research; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012682:Sensory Aids; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*