Optical low vision aids preferred by patients attending a low vision clinic

Purpose : To report the current status of optical low vision aids used by patients attending a low-vision clinic. Cases and Method : This survey was made on 248 visually handicapped persons who were attending low-vision care clinic of a university hospital during the past 4-year period. The series comprised 120 males and 128 females. Their age averaged 65 years. Visual disability was caused by glaucoma (35%), diabetic retinopathy (15%), macular degeneration (18%), and others. Patients were offered visual aids after consultation, visual acuity and field, and findings by MNREAD-J. They were then asked which visual aid they preferred. Results : The most preferred visual aid was closed-circuit television (86%), followed by monocular magnifier (35%), dome-type magnifier with magnification of 2 to 3 times (34%), and magnifier with built-in illumination (30%). Desk-top magnifier with magnification of 8 times or more was used by 4%. Conclusion : Low-vision clinics are recommended to advise patients regarding visual aids with the above data in mind.