Evaluating Self-Refraction and Ready-Made Spectacles for Treatment of Uncorrected Refractive Error

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Uncorrected refractive error is the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide and has significant quality of life and economic implications. Treatment with subjective refraction and custom-made spectacles requires expensive equipment and highly trained personnel. We examine several alternatives.

Methods: Patients were taught to self-refract using two devices: AdSpecs and the I-test Vision Screener. Ready-made spectacles were fit to the self-refraction and visual acuity (VA) was measured. Donated-spectacles were fit to subjective refraction and VA was measured. Self-refraction and donated spectacles spherical equivalent (SE) and VA were compared to subjective refraction SE and VA.

Results: About 57 patients (102 eyes) were enrolled in the study. Patients accurately determined refractive power with self-refraction by both AdSpecs and the I-test (compared to subjective refraction SE, r² = 0.97 and r² = 0.94, respectively). SE of donated spectacles fit well with self-refraction SE (r² = 0.91). There was no significant difference between best-corrected VA by subjective refraction and VA treated by ready-made spectacles fit to self-refraction by either device (analysis of variance (ANOVA), p non-significant). Patients fit with donated spectacles had significantly worse VA than best-corrected VA by subjective refraction (ANOVA, p < 0.01), although 80% improved to >20/40.

Conclusion: Patients accurately self-refract using both devices and ready-made spectacles fit to self-refraction have excellent visual outcomes. Donated spectacles have worse visual outcomes but might be useful in a subset of patients. Ready-made spectacles fit to self-refraction may provide a treatment alternative to uncorrected refractive error.

KEYWORDS:

• Diagnostic self evaluation
• eyeglasses
• refractive errors

Conflicts of interest

R.K. Lee is supported by the Walter G. Ross Foundation.

Additional information

Funding

The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is supported by NIH Center Core Grant P30EY014801 and a Research to Prevent Blindness Unrestricted Grant. Donated used spectacles provided by Lions Club International and ready-made spectacles donated by the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Optical Department.