Digital devices useful in visual rehabilitation

Digital devices may be used as a visual rehabilitation technique for low-vision AMD patients, according to a paper featured in the journal Eye.

An investigation led by Dr K. Gill, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, included 27 patients in the study. All patients had stable wet AMD in one or both eyes and were assessed for reading speeds on both digital readers and standard paper text.

The reading speed was calculated as words per minute and each patient completed the visual analogue scale after reading each passage. The patients read font sizes ranged from newsprint to large print books and then read from digital devices for comparison.

In conclusion, patients read faster on the Apple iPad with text sizes of 24 or more, compared to paper. Patients claimed the digital device has the best clarity but the print paper is the easiest to use.

Devices with larger display screens and high contrast ratios are beneficial to AMD patients who require larger texts for reading.

The abstract can be found here.