Cochrane · systematic review · CD003303

Reading aids for adults with low vision

Virgili, G, Acosta, R, Bentley, SA, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2018 · Cochrane Library

Eyes and Vision2 versionsAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
42
current version
GRADE rated
19
No studies
23
Included studies
NR
No studies 23 · 54.8%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 0 · 0%Low 11 · 26.2%Moderate 8 · 19%High 0 · 0%

Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.

Questions and results

Show all 2 versions

Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) versus optical device for adults with low vision

Population: adults with low vision
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (words per minute)
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 70 participantsLow
Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision
Reading duration (minutes)
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 22 participantsModerate
Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness
Reading acuity
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Ease and frequency of use Task difficulty score (0 = very easy to use 5 = extremely difficult)
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 70 participantsModerate
Downgraded: risk of bias
Quality of life
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Adverse outcomes
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies

Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device versus optical device for adults with low vision

Population: adults with low vision
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (words per minute)
Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 70 participantsModerate
Downgraded: risk of bias
Reading duration (minutes)
Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 22 participantsModerate
Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness
Reading acuity
Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Ease and frequency of use Task difficulty score (0=very easy to use 5=extremely difficult)
Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 70 participantsModerate
Downgraded: risk of bias
Quality of life
Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Adverse outcomes
Hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies

Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device versus optical device for adult with low vision

Population: adults with low vision
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (words per minute) using the IReST test
Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 100 participantsModerate
Downgraded: imprecision
Reading duration
Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Reading acuity
Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Ease and frequency of use Frequency of use (0 = never to 4 = several times a day)
Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 100 participantsLow
Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision
Quality of life estimating perceived difficulty using the NV‐VFQ‐15 questionnaire
Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device vs optical device
no estimate extracted1 study · 100 participantsModerate
Downgraded: imprecision
Adverse outcomes
Hand‐held (not mouse‐based) electronic device plus optical device vs optical device
no estimate extractedNRNo studies

Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation versus visual rehabilitation alone

Population: adults with low vision
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (maximum reading speed words per minute)
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation vs visual rehabilitation alone
no estimate extracted1 study · 31 participantsLow
Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness
Reading duration
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation vs visual rehabilitation alone
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Reading acuity
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation vs visual rehabilitation alone
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Ease and frequency of use
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation vs visual rehabilitation alone
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Quality of life
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation vs visual rehabilitation alone
no estimate extracted1 study · 31 participantsLow
Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness
Adverse outcomes
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) plus visual rehabilitation vs visual rehabilitation alone
no estimate extractedNRNo studies

Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) versus head‐mounted electronic device (HMD) for adults with low vision

Population: adults with low vision
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (words per minute) MNREAD Charts
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs head‐mounted electronic device (HMD)
no estimate extracted3 studies · 93 participantsLow
Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision
Reading duration
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs head‐mounted electronic device (HMD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Reading acuity (logMAR) MNREAD charts. Higher score is worse acuity.
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs head‐mounted electronic device (HMD)
no estimate extracted1 study · 13 participantsLow
Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness
Ease and frequency of use Task difficulty score (0 = very easy to use 5 = extremely difficult)
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs head‐mounted electronic device (HMD)
no estimate extracted1 study · 70 participantsLow
Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision
Quality of life
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs head‐mounted electronic device (HMD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Adverse outcomes
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs head‐mounted electronic device (HMD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies

Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) versus hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD) for adults with low vision

Population: adults with low vision
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (maximum reading speed words per minute) MNREAD charts
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD)
no estimate extracted2 studies · 92 participantsLow
Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision
Reading duration (minutes) MNREAD charts
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD)
no estimate extracted1 study · 22 participantsLow
Downgraded: imprecision, indirectness
Reading acuity
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Ease and frequency of use
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Quality of life
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Adverse outcomes
Stand‐mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) vs hand‐held mouse‐based electronic device (HHD)
no estimate extractedNRNo studies

Prism spectacles versus conventional spectacles for adults with low vision

Population: adults with low vision (people with AMD)
6 questions
OutcomeEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Reading speed (words per minute)
Prism spectacles vs conventional spectacles
no estimate extracted1 study · 150 participantsLow
Downgraded: imprecision
Reading duration
Prism spectacles vs conventional spectacles
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Reading acuity in logMAR
Prism spectacles vs conventional spectacles
no estimate extracted1 study · 150 participantsLow
Downgraded: imprecision
Ease and frequency of use
Prism spectacles vs conventional spectacles
no estimate extractedNRNo studies
Quality of life (NEI‐VFQ score) Scale from: 0‐100. Higher scores are better
Prism spectacles vs conventional spectacles
no estimate extracted1 study · 153 participantsModerate
Downgraded: imprecision
Adverse outcomes
Prism spectacles vs conventional spectacles
no estimate extractedNRNo studies