title: Health-related quality of life following blind rehabilitation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA. Thomas.kuyk.ctr@us.af.mil
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuyk
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jeffry L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Hartley E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Grubbs
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Owsley
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McGwin
authors.forename: Russell L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Patti S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Fuhr
mesh_terms: 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