Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging, Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago, IL, USA.
Forsythe Center for Comprehensive Vision Care, Chicago Lighthouse for People that are Blind or Visually Impaired, Chicago, IL, USA.
Clin Exp Optom. 2024 Jul;107(5):563-570. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2023.2246490. Epub 2023 Sep 19.
Optical magnification (OM), electronic magnification (EM), and assistive technology (AT) can be prescribed in low vision rehabilitation (LVR) clinics for near vision goals of patients. This study shows the prescription of OM has not decreased with increased availability of EM and AT.
Near visual goals are a primary concern for patients with visual impairment. LVR providers can prescribe OM, EM and/or AT to help. With the rapid evolution and availability of EM and AT, we aim to evaluate if there have been changes in the prescription patterns of clinicians with respect to OM over time. We hypothesise that the increased availability of technology may result in declining prescriptions of OM and increasing prescription of EM and AT over time.
This retrospective study investigated near prescribing between 2008-2017 for 530 new patients to the LVR clinics. Examinations were performed by optometrists specialising in low vision. Near devices prescribed included OM and EM and AT.
Most patients attending the LVR clinics were female, over 60 years old and had age related macular degeneration. Near visual goals were a primary concern of 97.2% of the patients. OM was most prescribed in the 0-19 and >60-year-old age groups. Within the 20-39-year-old age group there was the greatest number of both EM and AT prescriptions. OM was most prescribed in patients with visual acuity better than 6/60. EM and AT showed a trend of increasing prescription as visual acuity decreased. EM prescription peaked in <6/60 to 6/240 category while AT trended upwards from <6/21 to no light perception and peaked in patients with no light perception. Referral rates for additional rehabilitation services were 75.7%.
This study shows that the prescription of OM is not declining even as the prescription and the breadth of electronic magnification and assistive technology available is expanding. OM continues to be a viable option for patients, especially in the youngest and oldest cohorts.
光学放大（OM）、电子放大（EM）和辅助技术（AT）可在低视力康复（LVR）诊所中为患者的近视力目标开具处方。本研究表明，随着 EM 和 AT 的可用性增加，OM 的处方并未减少。
近视力目标是视力障碍患者的主要关注点。LVR 提供者可以开具 OM、EM 和/或 AT 来帮助患者。随着 EM 和 AT 的快速发展和可用性的提高，我们旨在评估随着时间的推移，临床医生对 OM 的处方模式是否发生了变化。我们假设，随着技术的可用性增加，OM 的处方可能会减少，而 EM 和 AT 的处方会随着时间的推移而增加。
本回顾性研究调查了 2008 年至 2017 年期间 530 名新到 LVR 诊所就诊的患者的近视力处方。检查由专门从事低视力的视光师进行。开出处方的近视力设备包括 OM 和 EM 和 AT。
大多数到 LVR 诊所就诊的患者为女性，年龄在 60 岁以上，患有年龄相关性黄斑变性。近视力目标是 97.2%患者的主要关注点。OM 在 0-19 岁和>60 岁年龄组中最常被开出处方。在 20-39 岁年龄组中，EM 和 AT 的处方数量最多。OM 在视力优于 6/60 的患者中最常被开出处方。随着视力的下降，EM 和 AT 的处方呈上升趋势。EM 的处方在<6/60 至 6/240 范围内达到峰值，而 AT 则从<6/21 至无光感呈上升趋势，并在无光感患者中达到峰值。额外康复服务的转诊率为 75.7%。
本研究表明，即使 EM 的处方和可用的电子放大和辅助技术的范围不断扩大，OM 的处方也并未减少。OM 仍然是患者的可行选择，尤其是在最年轻和最年长的患者群体中。
