J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2007 Sep;48(9):1269-1275.

Research on the Quality of Life of Low Vision Patients

• Kim JT
• Moon NJ

Abstract

PURPOSE: To Carry out a low vision quality of life questionnaire and to evaluate subjective quality of life of low-vision patients.
METHODS
The subject were 250 patients whose visual acuity was between hand motion and 0.3 among the patients at our clinic. The normal control group included 60 patients. After a review of the literature, we selected a useful questionnaire to assess quality of life in low vision patients and translated the questionnaire into Korean. The questionnaire used had 25 items concerning low vision and each question was multiple-choice, and the sum of the total points was used to assess of the quality of life.
RESULTS
The range of scores was from 0 to 125 points (the higher the score, the higher the quality of life). Fifty-one patients among 250 patients in the low vision group replied to our questionnaire. Fifty patients among 60 patients in the control group replied. The average low vision quality of life (LVQOL) score for patients with low vision (67.3+/-26.7) was significantly lower than the average score of those with normal vision (114+/-9.72). There was no statistically significant difference between the average score of patients questioned by mail versus telephone
CONCLUSIONS
The score of low vision patients was significantly lower than that of the control group, so this questionnaire can be applied to low vision patients specifically to evaluate quality of life. Optimally, the the questionnaire shoud be administered before and after the low vision consultation. The comparision of prerehabilitation score with postrehabilitation score might be helpful to evaluate the quality of life in a post rehabilitation state.

Keyword

Low vision; Quality of life; Questionnaire

MeSH Terms

Hand
Humans
Postal Service
Quality of Life*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Rehabilitation
Telephone
Vision, Low*
Visual Acuity

Figure

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  Figure 1. Low vision Questionaire in Korean used on this study.

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  Figure 2. The distribution of LVQOL score of low vision patiets and normal control group. The summed score were from 0 to 115point in low vision group, and from 91 to 125 point in normal control group.

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  Figure 3. Average score of each questionnaire contents and question in LVQOL patients and normal control group. All the score of low vision group was lower than normal control group. And score of 16 th question (Insight about eye condition) was higher than score of other questions.

Reference

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