Services Provided by the Brooks Rehabilitation Center for Low Vision: A Retrospective Chart Review

The Center for Low Vision at Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville, Florida provides outpatient rehabilitation using an interdisciplinary and hospital-wide approach to low vision advocacy. There are limited programs similar to Brooks Rehabilitation (Markowitz, 2016), solidifying a need to identify program trends and outcomes. Researchers utilized a retrospective chart review to describe the services and outcomes rendered. Data was acquired via low vision client records from 2018 to 2021. Data included demographics, vision measures (acuity, field, contrast sensitivity), and number of attended sessions. Researchers also collected two assessments used at evaluation and discharge (the Reading Behavior Inventory [RBI] and the Revised Self-Report Assessment of Functional Visual Performance [R-SRAFVP]) (Goodrich et al., 2006; Snow et al., 2018). Analyzing 1,142 charts, clients seen for low vision services were mostly female (60.1%), with a mean age of 71.35. The average visit count was 3.48. Clients presented with an average acuity in both eyes of 20/163 (M = 0.91) and an average contrast sensitivity of 1.10. The most common visual field deficit was monocular vision and the most delivered interventions included optical device training and scotoma education. For the RBI, a Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test (Z = -15.28, P < .001) indicated the scores at discharge (Mdn = 18) were significantly improved compared to evaluation (Mdn = 11). For the R-SRAFVP, a paired sample t-test (t = 20.16, p < .001) indicated scores at discharge (M = 0.16) were significantly improved compared to scores at evaluation (M = 0.37). The results of this study show a positive pattern of services at Brooks Rehabilitation with over 1000 clients served as well as the R-SRAFVP and RBI showing improved functional trends. Though limitations to this study exist, clients seemed to benefit functionally from the interprofessional, and hospital-wide education-based low vision services.

References

Goodrich, G. L., Kirby, J., Wood, J., & Peters, L. (2006). The Reading Behavior Inventory: An outcome assessment tool. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 100(3), 164–168. DOI: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ732710.pdf

Markowitz, S.N. (2016). State-of-the-art: Low vision rehabilitation. Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. 51(2), 59-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjo.2015.11.002

Snow, M., Warren, M., Yuen, H. K., (2018). Revised Self-Report Assessment of Functional Visual Performance (R–SRAFVP)—Part II: Construct Validation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 72(5), 7205205020p1–7205205020p8. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.030205