Biomedical subjects

J E Keeffe

Publications and source records attributed to J E Keeffe.

41 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

Assessment and educational implications of albinism.

Forty-seven visually impaired albino schoolchildren were identified from the Victorian school population. 28 (aged 7-18) who had had a standard ophthalmic examination including the LH5 Visual Acuity Test for Contrast Sensitivity agreed to try a battery of educational tests in addition. The tests were the Non-Verbal Ability Test, Visual Motor Integration Test, Torch Reading, reading miscue analysis and reading of test to measure sustained near visual acuity. The most useful of these was the Non-Verbal Ability Test (NAT) which indicated that this group of albinos was of above average cognitive ability. This was independent of the findings on ophthalmic examination. The NAT is also useful in identifying relative strengths and weaknesses in information processing abilities in albino subjects.

Achievement↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Description and measurement of handicap caused by vision impairment.

To develop an instrument to describe and quantify handicap caused by vision impairment an item pool was derived from focus groups and from a review of vision-related quality-of-life questionnaires. Only items related to handicap were included and grouped into five subscales. The 76-item 'Impact of Vision Impairment' was administered to 95 people who were vision impaired. Content validity was established by consultation with professionals and with people with impaired vision. Forty-six items remained after the elimination of those found to be irrelevant and others with inter-item correlation coefficients of > or = 0.7. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed an association between visual acuity and type and degree of handicap on subscales, except emotional reaction to vision loss, which is related to cause of vision impairment. The instrument is responsive to the level of vision loss and discriminates the different performances of people with different causes of vision loss.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Unemployment and under-employment in adults with vision impairment: The RVIB Employment Survey.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the labour force status in Victorian adults with vision impairment and any factors associated with unemployment and under-employment. METHODS: Participants were recruited in 1997. A telephone interview was conducted by trained interviewers. RESULTS: A total of 250 people participated. They ranged in age from 19 to 59 years (mean 40.7 years) and 119 (48%) were male. Thirty-nine (16%) people regarded themselves to be totally blind. Nearly everyone (n=241, 96%) had been employed at some time during their lifetime; however, only 149 (60%) were currently employed. The current rate of participation in the labour force was 73.3% (95% CL, 67.8%, 78.8%) and the current unemployment rate was 18.2% (95% CL, 12.6%, 23.9%). The current rate of under-employment was 16.0% (95% CL, 10.7%, 21.4%). A total of 126 (50%) people had used services that help with employment at some stage; this was not significantly associated with current employment status (P > 0.10). The factors significantly associated with unemployment in multivariate analyses were a self-report of eyesight limiting time available for work or other activities (OR=3.02; 95% CL, 1.56, 5.85) and currently looking for work (OR=5.92; 95% CL, 2.94, 11.9); never having worked was of borderline significance (OR=5.26; 95% CL, 0.85, 32.7) as a result of the small numbers of people surveyed. The only factor significantly associated with under-employment was self-employment (OR=5.46; 95% CL, 1.95, 15.3). DISCUSSION: Results from this study reveal that visual function is not a predictor of labour force status. The relatively low use of specialty employment services and the rather high rate of discouraged job seekers suggest that the employment outcomes of people who use these services should be investigated further, and that attention should be directed at improving retention of employment in people with vision impairment.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Compliance with recommendations from a screening programme for diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS: General practitioner compliance with recommendations for patient follow-up after participation in a screening programme for diabetic retinopathy was assessed. Six months after screening with non-mydriatic retinal photography in four areas of Victoria, the genera practitioner of each participant was surveyed if the participant reported no examination for diabetic retinopathy in the past 2 years and if the results of the screening indicated the need for further assessment. RESULTS: Overall, 208 of 253 (82%) completed questionnaires were analysed. A total of 123 (59%) patients were referred by their doctors for further assessment and 97 (79%) of those referred were reported to have complied with the referral. Of the 85 (41%) patients who were not referred for further assessment, 31 (36%) were reported by their doctors to be already under regular review by an ophthalmologist. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with genera practitioner referrals suggests that this screening programme was effective and a useful means by which to remind general practitioners of the importance of regular eye examinations for people with diabetes.

Australia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vision impairment and handicap: The RVIB Employment Survey. The Steering Committee for the RVIB Employment Survey.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between type of vision impairment and disability and the handicap or impact of vision loss on functioning. METHODS: Participants were interviewed for the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Employment Survey, and asked to self-report whether totally blind or not (vision impaired). Causes of visual impairment were also reported. Eyesight was rated on a scale from 0 (completely blind) to 10 (best possible eyesight). Difficulty with mobility, personal care, household activities, work and hobbies and social interactions were also rated. Participants with vision impairment also rated their level of disability in reading and seeing other people's reactions using the same scale. RESULTS: Of the 250 participants, 39 self-reported total blindness. Participants with vision impairment experienced greater levels of difficulty in almost all areas than people who self-reported total blindness. People with vision impairment due to glaucoma and macular degeneration reported significantly more difficulty with reading newspapers, while there was a borderline significant relationship between difficulty with seeing people's reactions and macular degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we found that difficulty associated with everyday tasks was greater than might be expected from self-report of vision. This study confirms the need for visual function tools to supplement the use of objective visual acuity measurements in people with vision impairment.

Activities of Daily Living↗