Change in visual acuity status of patients served by a humanitarian vision clinic in Mexico

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to quantify the outcome from a humanitarian eye care clinic providing refractive correction.MethodsEntering versus exiting binocular visual acuities at distance and near were measured to evaluate the overall change in the prevalence of visual impairment (20/70 to 20/180) and blindness (20/200 or worse) in 882 patients ages 8 to 89 (mean age 49) in San Blas, Mexico.ResultsA total of 413 distance spectacle corrections and 670 near corrections were dispensed within the study sample of 813 subjects. Those entering the clinic with distance visual acuity of 20/200 or worse caused by refractive error and/or ocular disease totaled 78 (9.6%), whereas those exiting with this level of acuity totaled 32 (3.9%). Those who entered with distance acuity constituting visual impairment totaled 105 (12.9%), whereas those exiting with distance visual impairment totaled 31 (3.8%). Those entering with near visual acuity of 20/70 or worse totaled 403 (49.6%), whereas only 27 (3.3%) exited the clinic with visual impairment at near. Of 86 patients with cataracts, 74 showed improved visual acuity with refractive correction.ConclusionSpectacle correction, especially for near, significantly reduced the burden of visual impairment in this patient sample, even in the presence of ocular disease.