Health-related quality of life following blind rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of residential blind rehabilitation on patients' vision-targeted health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and general physical and mental function.


METHODS
The National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ) plus appendix questions, the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), Hope Scale and Coopersmith self-esteem inventory were administered to 206 legally blind veterans prior to their entering a residential (in-patient) blind rehabilitation program and again to 185 and 176 of the original cohort at 2 and 6 months after completion of the rehabilitation program, respectively. Data on visual acuity, visual field extent, contrast sensitivity and scanning ability were also collected. The duration of the in-patient rehabilitation programs ranged from 11 to 109 days. Questionnaire scores were compared pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation.


RESULTS
Following rehabilitation there was a significant improvement in nine of 11 NEI VFQ subscales and in a composite score at both the 2- and 6-month post-rehabilitation intervals. Mental health (SF-12) and self esteem also improved significantly although physical health ratings declined over the course of the study (approximately 10 months).


CONCLUSIONS
Residential blind rehabilitation appears to improve patients' self-reported vision-targeted HRQOL, self-esteem and mental health aspects of generic HRQOL.
Kuyk
Thomas
T
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA. Thomas.kuyk.ctr@us.af.mil
Liu
Lei
L
Elliott
Jeffry L
JL
Grubbs
Hartley E
HE
Owsley
Cynthia
C
McGwin
Gerald
G
Griffin
Russell L
RL
Fuhr
Patti S
PS
D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans; D014787:Vision Tests; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014792:Visual Acuity