Older patients with vision loss who were hospitalised for common disorders were often not identified as requiring special attention affecting outcomes, resource use and costs, reveals a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Identifying patients with vision loss during hospitalisation and employing strategies to assist them could improve outcomes, reduce readmissions and lengths of stay, researchers said, concluding that if applied throughout the US, more than US$500 million a year could be saved.

Researchers compared more than 12,000 patients with vision loss to the same number of patients without vision loss. All were hospitalised for common medical conditions, such as joint replacement, digestive disorders, urinary tract infections, heart failure or pneumonia. Patients with vision loss experienced longer lengths of stay and increased readmission rates, incurring significantly higher costs than people with no vision loss.

"The number of people with vision loss is projected to increase substantially as rates of macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases are expected to rise," said author Dr Alan Morse, president of vision loss organisation the Lighthouse Guild. "Now is the time to put systems in place to coordinate care that adequately addresses the needs associated with vision loss so patients receive appropriate care during hospitalisation."

Even after discharge, patients with vision loss continue to experience challenges, he added. “It is important their caregivers understand the consequences of vision loss on care needs during hospitalisations and afterward and identify strategies to minimise any potential negative impact."