BACKGROUND: Vision impairment is an under-recognized risk factor for adverse events among hospitalized patients, yet vision is neither routinely tested nor documented for inpatients. Low-cost ($8 and up) nonprescription "readers" may be a simple, high-value intervention to improve inpatients' vision. We aimed to study initial feasibility and efficacy of screening and correcting inpatients' vision. METHODS: From June 2012 through January 2014 we began testing whether participants' vision corrected with nonprescription lenses for eligible participants failing a vision screen (Snellen chart) performed by research assistants (RAs). Descriptive statistics and tests of comparison, including t tests and χ(2) tests, were used when appropriate. All analyses were performed using Stata version 12 (StataCorp, College Station, TX). RESULTS: Over 800 participants' vision was screened (n = 853). Older (≥65 years; 56%) participants were more likely to have insufficient vision than younger (<65 years; 28%; P < 0.001). Nonprescription readers corrected the majority of eligible participants' vision (82%, 95/116). DISCUSSION: Among an easily identified subgroup of inpatients with poor vision, low-cost readers successfully corrected most participants' vision. Hospitalists and other clinicians working in the inpatient setting can play an important role in identifying opportunities to provide high-value care related to patients' vision.
BACKGROUND:Vision impairment is an under-recognized risk factor for adverse events among hospitalized patients, yet vision is neither routinely tested nor documented for inpatients. Low-cost ($8 and up) nonprescription "readers" may be a simple, high-value intervention to improve inpatients' vision. We aimed to study initial feasibility and efficacy of screening and correcting inpatients' vision. METHODS: From June 2012 through January 2014 we began testing whether participants' vision corrected with nonprescription lenses for eligible participants failing a vision screen (Snellen chart) performed by research assistants (RAs). Descriptive statistics and tests of comparison, including t tests and χ(2) tests, were used when appropriate. All analyses were performed using Stata version 12 (StataCorp, College Station, TX). RESULTS: Over 800 participants' vision was screened (n = 853). Older (≥65 years; 56%) participants were more likely to have insufficient vision than younger (<65 years; 28%; P < 0.001). Nonprescription readers corrected the majority of eligible participants' vision (82%, 95/116). DISCUSSION: Among an easily identified subgroup of inpatients with poor vision, low-cost readers successfully corrected most participants' vision. Hospitalists and other clinicians working in the inpatient setting can play an important role in identifying opportunities to provide high-value care related to patients' vision.
Authors: S K Inouye; S T Bogardus; P A Charpentier; L Leo-Summers; D Acampora; T R Holford; L M Cooney Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1999-03-04 Impact factor: 91.245
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Authors: Valerie G Press; Vineet M Arora; Lisa M Shah; Stephanie L Lewis; Krystal Ivy; Jeffery Charbeneau; Sameer Badlani; Edward Nareckas; Edward Naurekas; Antoinette Mazurek; Jerry A Krishnan Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2011-01-20 Impact factor: 5.128
Authors: S E Levkoff; D A Evans; B Liptzin; P D Cleary; L A Lipsitz; T T Wetle; C H Reilly; D M Pilgrim; J Schor; J Rowe Journal: Arch Intern Med Date: 1992-02
Authors: Ethan G Jaffee; Vineet M Arora; Madeleine I Matthiesen; Seenu M Hariprasad; David O Meltzer; Valerie G Press Journal: J Health Commun Date: 2016-09-23