Jennifer Kaldenberg, OT, DrPH, MSA, OTR, SCLV, FAOTA, is Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Boston University, Boston, MA;
Stacy Smallfield, DrOT, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, is Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy Program, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Am J Occup Ther. 2023 Sep 1;77(5). doi: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050219.
Visual impairment (VI) affects more than 9 million Americans age 65 yr and older, and it limits meaningful participation in daily living. Occupational therapy can have a considerable impact on the functional performance of those with VI; however, information is limited on the existing occupational therapy services available for older adults with VI across the United States.
To calculate the prevalence of VI by U.S. county and quantify and locate the existing occupational therapy practitioners with certification in vision rehabilitation.
Synthetic estimation was used to calculate the prevalence of VI among those age 65 yr and older in the United States by county. Geographic Information Systems mapping was used to illustrate the prevalence of VI and availability of occupational therapy practitioners with specialized training in vision rehabilitation by U.S. town.
Communities with high concentrations of older adults with VI were more prevalent in the center of the United States, whereas occupational therapy practitioners with specialty training in vision rehabilitation were concentrated primarily on the east coast of the United States, on both Florida coasts, in selected cities in Texas and California, in western Pennsylvania, and in Alabama.
The availability of occupational therapy practitioners with specialty training in vision rehabilitation does not match the visual rehabilitation needs of older adults in the United States. These findings can be used to prioritize efforts for new service provision, provide outreach to underserved populations, and guide occupational therapy education to improve access to vision rehabilitation throughout the United States. What This Article Adds: The data provided in this study can inform resource allocation, workforce development, and entry-level occupational therapy education to address the ongoing needs of older adults with VI.
视力障碍（VI）影响了超过 900 万 65 岁及以上的美国老年人，限制了他们对日常生活的有意义参与。职业疗法对 VI 患者的功能表现有很大影响；然而，关于美国老年人 VI 现有的职业疗法服务的信息有限。
通过美国县计算 VI 的患病率，并量化和定位具有视力康复认证的现有职业治疗师。
使用综合估计来计算美国 65 岁及以上人群中 VI 的患病率。地理信息系统制图用于说明 VI 的流行程度以及具有视觉康复专业培训的职业治疗师在美国城镇的可用性。
美国老年人 VI 浓度较高的社区更集中在美国中部，而具有视觉康复专业培训的职业治疗师主要集中在美国东海岸、佛罗里达州的两个海岸、德克萨斯州和加利福尼亚州的几个选定城市、宾夕法尼亚州西部和阿拉巴马州。
具有视觉康复专业培训的职业治疗师的可用性与美国老年人的视觉康复需求不匹配。这些发现可用于优先考虑新服务提供的努力，为服务不足的人群提供外展服务，并指导职业治疗教育，以改善整个美国的视觉康复服务。
本研究提供的数据可以为资源分配、劳动力发展和入门级职业治疗教育提供信息，以满足 VI 老年患者的持续需求。
