Visual Acuity Screening of Refugees and Immigrants with a Web-Based Digital Test: A Pilot Study
Language English Country Czech Republic Media print
Document type Journal Article, Observational Study
PubMed
39963735
DOI
10.14712/18059694.2025.2
PII: am_2024067030079
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- DDART, immigrants, refugees, screening, visual acuity,
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Emigrants and Immigrants * MeSH
- Internet MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Vision Screening methods MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Refugees * MeSH
- Visual Acuity * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Observational Study MeSH
- Geographicals
- Greece MeSH
PURPOSE: To screen visual acuity in two refugee camps in Greece and explore the feasibility of replicating these methods on a nationwide scale. METHODS: Visual acuity was assessed in all participants using web-based Democritus Digital Acuity & Reading Test (DDART). Furthermore, the immigrants responded to a structured questionnaire regarding their demographics and medical history. RESULTS: A total of 330 adult refugees and immigrants were recruited. A total of 47.3% of the patients had never undergone ophthalmological examination. A significant negative correlation was detected between age (r = -0.207, p < 0.001) and educational background (r = -0.135, p = 0.014), suggesting that younger immigrants who had attended compulsory education were more likely to have their eyes checked in their home country. A total of 6.97% of patients presented with impaired vision and were referred for further care. All remote DDART measurements presented no differences from the corresponding hospital-based data in the referred cases. CONCLUSIONS: Visual acuity screening using DDART provides valuable information regarding the visual capacity of refugees. The study outcomes suggest that pilot methods can be replicated on a nationwide scale. CLINICAL TRIALS: Gov number NCT05209581; date of registration: January 13, 2022. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose. Patients Consent Statement: The patients sign written consent form.
Department of Public and One Health School of Social Sciences University of Thessaly Karditsa Greece
Faculty of Social Sciences Hellenic Open University Patras Greece
Medical School Democritus University of Thrace Alexandroupolis Greece
Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens Greece
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