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Global certification of visual impairment registries: A scoping review
Laura N Cushley1, Benedict Leonard-Hawkhead1, Andrew Jonathan Jackson2
1Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Acta Ophthalmologica
|September 28, 2024
Summary
This review identifies countries with visual impairment registries, finding common causes of blindness globally like age-related macular degeneration and refractive errors. Registries are crucial for supporting visually impaired individuals and planning services.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Global Health
Background:
- Visual impairment is a growing global health concern, with uncorrected refractive error, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration as leading causes.
- Visual impairment registries are maintained by many countries to support affected individuals and inform service planning.
- This scoping review identifies countries with published data from visual impairment registries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify countries that maintain visual impairment registries.
- To determine which countries have published data derived from these registries.
- To understand the scope and content of existing visual impairment data globally.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Medline All, Embase, and EBSCOHost databases.
- Studies published after the year 2000 were included in this scoping review.
- Results were synthesized using a PRISMA diagram and presented through narrative analysis.
Main Results:
- 57 articles from 19 countries, published between 2000 and 2024, were included.
- Age-related macular degeneration was frequently cited as a primary cause of blindness in developed nations, while refractive error predominated in less developed countries.
- Common causes of childhood blindness included inherited retinal diseases, albinism, and cerebral visual impairment.
Conclusions:
- Global approaches to visual impairment certification vary.
- Significant commonalities exist in the primary causes of visual impairment across adult and pediatric populations worldwide.
- Visual impairment registries are essential for providing support and planning effective services for individuals with vision loss.
