What are the reasons for abandonment of low vision devices prescribed in a large tertiary eye care centre?

Purpose: To investigate abandonment rates of near‐vision low vision devices (LVDs) and factors that influence abandonment among patients attending a tertiary low vision rehabilitation centre in South India. Methods: Two hundred and eighty‐six adults with low vision completed the modified device abandonment survey 1 year following device prescription. The survey included six questions: possession of device, timing of last use, reasons for abandonment, tasks for which the device was used, payment type and change in quality of life (QoL) from device use. The primary outcome measure was abandonment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors for abandonment. Results: Three hundred and twelve near‐vision devices were prescribed (mean, 1.09 device per patient.) Stand magnifiers (35%) followed by hand‐held magnifiers (24%) were most frequently prescribed. Mean logMAR visual acuity (Snellen) in the better‐seeing eye was 0.80 (6/38). Of the prescribed near‐vision devices, 22% (95% CI, 17 to 27) were abandoned. Patients who abandoned the device were significantly older than those who did not (49.3 ± 17.2 vs. 43.5 ± 18.1 years; p = 0.03). In multivariable analysis, patients reporting no change in their QoL from device use had higher odds of abandoning the device (OR: 63.97; 95% CI, 23.77 to 172.12). Device‐related (31%) and psychological (30%) factors were the most frequent reasons for abandonment. Among device‐related issues, the most frequent reason was that patients felt the device was too complex to use (50%) followed by being too cumbersome to use (25%). Conclusion: The abandonment rate for near‐vision LVDs in South India was comparable with that reported in high‐income countries. Patients reporting no change in their QoL had a higher likelihood of abandoning the device compared with those who reported some change. Device‐related and psychological factors were the most frequent reasons for abandonment. These results can be used to develop strategies to improve compliance with use of devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]