GLAUCOMA 48 EWAP JUNE 2023 There is a significant focus on stopping progression of optic nerve damage and subsequent vision loss in glaucoma, but what about patients who have already reached a point of vision loss? What modern visual rehabilitation technologies and services are available to them? According to a review article published in the journal Eye in 2022, “relatively little effort has been focused on the practical question of how to maximize visual ability (perform every day, visually-mediated tasks) and minimize the effects of impairment in persons with glaucoma, particularly those with advanced disease.” 1 Compared to other medical specialties, the authors of this paper wrote that in ophthalmology, “significant barriers exist in the integration of rehabilitation into glaucoma care,” including visual changes being gradual and fluctuating, the need for multiple conversations with patients, limited time for the primary glaucoma specialist to guide patients in visual rehabilitation and/or limited visual rehabilitation specialists in their area, and difficulty getting patient commitment and/or trust in the visual rehabilitation process. Mona Kaleem, MD, said that even if patients experience problems with their vision, some don’t bring it up with their care providers. She also said that the physician, in general, doesn’t spend a lot of time talking to patients about their functional deficits, focusing more on IOP, testing, and visual acuity. She said that asking three questions could help ophthalmologists determine if a patient would benefit from a vision rehab consult: 1) Do you have problems reading? 2) Do you have difficulty walking? Overview of visual aids: New technology and dependable tools by Liz Hillman EyeWorld (US) Editorial Co-Director Contact information Kaleem: mkaleem1@jhmi.edu Mohiuddin: omar.mohiuddin@duke.edu Rosdahl: ullia.rosdahl@duke.edu This article originally appeared in the April 2023 issue of EyeWorld. It has been slightly modified and appears here with permission from the ASCRS Ophthalmic Services Corp. Different low vision aids and techniques. Source: Omar Mohiuddin, OTR/L, CLVT
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