Evaluating Tinted Lens Preferences In Patients With Visual Impairment.

Background: Many visually impaired patients prefer tinted lenses demonstrated during a
low vision examination to improve visual quality/function. In most low vision
rehabilitation examinations, the patient is able to sample tint colors before coming to a
conclusion about which is most effective. It is unclear whether a correlation in color
preference exists among patients with the same disease. The goal of this research is to
subjectively determine which tints work best for patients with specific visually
compromising diseases for indoor and outdoor use.
Methods: The sample size was 16 and all were visually impaired. The subjects were asked to trial tinted glasses of the same shape, size, and brand while observing reading material and ranked the top two choices that improved reading ability. To assess outdoor tints, the subjects were asked to trial the tinted glasses in front of an assigned window and ranked the top two choices that improved visual quality. The weather and time of day were ranked on a set scale.
Results: The overall results for indoor tints were not clinically significant (P=0.5676,
H=7.671). None of the disease categories showed statistical significance on their own
with regards to indoor tints. In the overall assessment of outdoor tints, the results were
considered statistically significant (P=0.0014, H=28.65). Stargardt disease and agerelated macular degeneration were deemed statistically significant whereas all other
diseases did not yield significant results. Weather patterns were not taken into account
due to an insufficient sample size.
Conclusions: The results of this research conclude that no inferences can be made at this time regarding the relationship between disease and indoor tint preferences. Statistical analyses for the use of outdoor tints were deemed significant and more specific tints may be recommended based on the patient’s disease.