2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
11 Lens and Cataract
Chapter 6: Evaluation and Management of Cataracts
Clinical History: Signs and Symptoms
Decreased Visual Function
Assessing the overall effect of the cataract on visual function is a more appropriate way to determine visual disability than is acuity testing alone. This assessment includes asking patients whether their vision (at near, at distance, and under different lighting conditions) is adequate to allow them to perform relevant activities of daily living and participate in any hobbies. Questionnaires for measuring visual function may be useful, such as the Activities of Daily Vision Scale (ADVS), the Visual Function Index (VF-14), the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ), and the Visual Disability Assessment (VDA).
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Mangione CM, Lee PP, Gutierrez PR, Spritzer K, Berry S, Hays RD; National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire Field Test Investigators. Development of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119(7): 1050–1058.
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Mangione CM, Phillips RS, Seddon JM, et al. Development of the ‘Activities of Daily Vision Scale’. A measure of visual functional status. Med Care. 1992;30(12):1111–1126.
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Pesudovs K, Wright TA, Gothwal VK. Visual disability assessment: valid measurement of activity limitation and mobility in cataract patients. Br J Ophthalmol. 2010;94(6):777–781.
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Steinberg EP, Tielsch JM, Schein OD, et al. The VF-14. An index of functional impairment in patients with cataract. Arch Ophthalmol. 1994;112(5):630–638.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 11 - Lens and Cataract. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.