The low-vision clinic at Tokyo University Hospital

Purpose: To report on low-vision care at Tokyo University Hospital. Methods: We evaluated the services provided between April 2002 and March 2003 to 67 low-vision patients (37 males and 30 females, average age 66.6 years). The services provided included evaluation of visual acuity, assessment of patients' needs using a previously developed questionnaire that included calculation of the disability index (DI) for various needs, prescription of optical aids, and education regarding available community resources. Results: Common causes of vision loss were glaucoma (23 patients, 34%), diabetic retinopathy (20 patients, 30%), and macular degeneration (10 patients, 15%). Fifty-eight of the 67 patients (87%) had received the handbook. The most common needs of the patients requesting low-vision care were "legibility of letters" (DI of 1.61 points), "going out" (DI of 1.57 points), and "legibility of sentences" (DI of 1.46 points). Thirty patients made requests for assistive devices, magnifiers were prescribed for 17, and closed-circuit television was recommended to 15. Conclusion: Adequate information about low vision and patients' needs is important in selecting the appropriate assistive devices for each patient.