Visual Impairment and Ocular Pathology Among the Urban American Homeless

There are few studies that describe the prevalence of ocular morbidity among people who are homeless in the United States. The goal of this study was to describe rates of visual impairment and ocular pathology of men at a homeless shelter in a major United States city.

An ophthalmologist lead eye-screening clinic was established at a homeless shelter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Results were obtained prospectively from 2015 to 2017.

During the study period, 91 patients were enrolled. Visual impairment, defined as vision worse than 20/40, was identified in 42% and ocular pathology in 57% of those studied. This was higher than the national average and higher than or similar to international studies conducted in homeless shelters. Common findings included cataracts, glaucoma, and past eye trauma.

This study describes a high rate of eye disease and refractive error in an urban homeless sample in the United States.