Assessment: of the Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Diseases

To better understand and plan for the vision care need, there is a critical need for national- and state-level vision and eye health data from representative U.S. populations, including data from minority groups and high-risk populations. Data on vision loss among children as well as vision loss related to occupational and recreational injuries are extremely scarce and need to be strengthened. CDC uses surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to assess the burden of vision loss, quality of life, quality of care, population and prevalence estimates, comorbid conditions and their effects, and to monitor trends. CDC/VHI specific activities include the following:

• Assessing the role of available data sources for measuring and monitoring vision loss and eye diseases.
• Assessing the impact of blindness and vision impairment through the lifespan.
• Building capacity to conduct epidemiologic, behavioral, health services, and economic research related to vision loss and eye diseases at all stages of life.
• Exploring innovative mechanisms to collect data, including administrative data and electronic medical records.
• Identifying populations most at risk for vision loss.
• Identifying populations with vision loss most at risk of health disparities.
• Improving current vision loss and eye diseases data collection, including consensus of case definition of vision loss in surveys and validity of self-reporting methods.
• Strengthening vision surveillance at the state level through the Visual Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module of the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS).
• Strengthening vision surveillance at the national level by supporting the eye evaluation component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.