How effective is low vision service provision? A systematic review.
Visual impairment is a large and growing socioeconomic problem. Good evidence on rehabilitation outcomes is required to guide service development and improve the lives of people with sight loss. Of the 478 potentially relevant articles identified, only 58 studies met our liberal inclusion criteria, and of these only 7 were randomized controlled trials. Although the literature is sufficient to confirm that rehabilitation services result in improved clinical and functional ability outcomes, the effects on mood, vision-related quality of life (QoL) and health-related QoL are less clear. There are some good data on the performance of particular types of intervention, but almost no useful data about outcomes in children, those of working age, and other groups. There were no reports on cost effectiveness. Overall, the number of well-designed and adequately reported studies is pitifully small; visual rehabilitation research needs higher quality research. We highlight study design and reporting considerations and suggest a future research agenda.
Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales.
Alison M
AM
Binns
Catey
C
Bunce
Chris
C
Dickinson
Robert
R
Harper
Rhiannon
R
Tudor-Edwards
Margaret
M
Woodhouse
Pat
P
Linck
Alan
A
Suttie
Jonathan
J
Jackson
Jennifer
J
Lindsay
James
J
Wolffsohn
Lindsey
L
Hughes
Tom H
TH
Margrain
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000628:therapy*; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*