According to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the term of “low vision” is not defined in UK legislation however, the UK Low Vision Services Consensus Group(1) has adopted a definition of the term as: “a person with low vision is one who has an impairment of visual function for whom full remediation is not possible by conventional spectacles, contact lenses or medical intervention and which causes restriction in that person’s everyday life”. In addition, the WHO defines low vision as being visual acuity (VA) that, “is less (worse) than 6/18 in the better eye or visual fields are less than 20 degrees in diameter. After treatment or with refractive correction, vision cannot be corrected to ‘normal’”(2)(3). Regardless, distance visual acuity may be a poor predictor of mobility, face recognition or unfamiliar activities or tasks and therefore there is a continuing search for a simple clinical test of visual impairment for a practical and accurate prediction outcome for use by the optometrist, clinician or researcher. The current book on Low Vision-Principles and Management, (1st edition), provides a valuable resource to navigate the field for low vision patients including testing, diagnoses, management and treatment for those either new to the field, or for experienced researchers to update the tools, principles and practices in vision impairment.
The book, edited by Christine Dickinson, Ana Hernandez Trillo and Michael Crossland, based at the University of Manchester and Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, covers 5 sections comprising a total of 23 chapters and 4 appendices. The sections include the description and analysis on a definition of low vision, magnification for improving visual performance, visual rehabilitation, clinical procedures and several resources for patients, patient organisations, clinical history record keeping, literature, magnification tools, social services and more. The text comprise theory, practice and case studies and the final section on Clinical Procedures ranges from everything on scheduling the appointment, the visual assessment, follow-up, prescribing, magnifier selection, spectacle correction, trial in the “real-world”, evaluation and audit, defining success and a selection of case studies and additional commentaries. The comprehensive resource provides a practical and clear approach with practising eye care “professionals and students fully up to date with current optical and electronic devices and how they are used in everyday practice”.
Finally, the publisher (Elsevier) are commended to include a “read aloud” initiative in the electronic copy of the book for those who may wish to listen parts of the material and/or follow the reading and listening, combined. While some of the diction may be difficult to hear the sounds and intonation of the speech with different audiences, it is nonetheless a significant addition to the offering that will likely iterate the e-resources in due course.
English, Paperback ISBN: 9780323876346; eBook ISBN: 9780323876353; page (iii) to 331 pages. Copyright year: 2024; Book format: 216w (mm) x 276h (mm); ISBN# 9780323876346.
Author Information: By Christine Dickinson, BSc PhD FCOptom PGCertHE, Professor of Clinical Optometry and Lead for Undergraduate Masters, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Ana Hernandez Trillo, BSc MSc PhD PGDipMEd SFHEA, Senior Lecturer in Optometry, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK and Michael Crossland, Senior Research Fellow, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College of London and Specialist Optometrist, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
(1) Low Vision Services Consensus Group. Low Vision Services: Recommendations for future service delivery in the UK. London: The Royal National Institute for the Blind, 1999.
(2) Assessment of low vision in developing countries, WHO/PBL/95.48.
(3) Low vision, Chapter 21 (Vision in context), Oxford Handbook of Ophthalmology, 2nd edition, Alastair K.O. Dennison & Philip I. Murray
Gearóid Tuohy B.Sc., Ph.D. (Genetics), M.Sc. (Clinical Trials & Statistics).
Director, Clinical Trials Research