Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study the profile of persons with low vision in Jordan based on the clinical records of service users who attended the Vision Rehabilitation Center (VRC) at the German Jordanian University (GJU). A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the archived data for persons with low vision attending the VRC over the period September 2012 to December 2017. The information collected included age, gender, referral, geographical distribution, chief functional visual problems, and ocular pathology. The records of 725 (28.9 ± 20.3 years old) persons out of 858 persons were analyzed. Almost half (50.6%) of the sample was less than 18 years old. The main cause of the low vision was retinal diseases (53.4%), followed by albinism. Gender and age showed no significant influence on ocular pathology distribution. For the referrals, ophthalmologists (37.8%) were the largest source of referral, followed by institutions for people with disabilities (14.9%). Near tasks were reported as the main functional problems for patients with low vision (74.9%), followed by distance tasks (8.3%). This study sets a precedent for determining the characteristics of persons with low vision in Jordan. Developing an efficient referral system between eye health care professionals and other health caregivers is important to ensure the best multidisciplinary services for low vision.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons with low vision are those with visual acuity (VA) of ≤6/18 in the better eye, or visual field (VF)
/or who benefited from the low vision services; referred to the Vision Rehabilitation Center (VRC) over the period from September 2012 to December 2017; the service users were diagnosed by experienced ophthalmologists and the needed medical intervention was received before they visited the VRC; they wereand assessed by registered optometristswas specialized low vision; their ophthalmologists the needed medical intervention receivedinbefore they visited assessment forms were filled
The data derived from records of low-vision clinics have advantages over surveys or registration as it gives more detailed and representative information regarding the characteristics of the service users and the provided services [23,24]
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons with low vision are those with visual acuity (VA) of ≤6/18 in the better eye, or visual field (VF)
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