New abbreviations for visual acuity values

In cataract and refractive surgery, visual acuity is the main component of outcomes and results. Since visual acuity is tested both with (spectacles or contact lenses) and without correction for distance, near, and other situations, abbreviations for these measurements are commonly used in publications. Abbreviations are highly specific to single fields of application, which often makes them difficult to understand; this is especially true for people who are not scientists or are not acquainted with the field. Although all abbreviations are explained when they are initially introduced in scientific articles, standardization would be helpful for both readers and authors. Because surgical presbyopia correction is now performed more frequently, near and intermediate visual acuity measurements have assumed greater relevance. The use of multifocal and accommodating IOLs has shown that intermediate visual acuity matters equally for the visual spectrum of patients and for the optical qualities after refractive lens and corneal surgery. To incorporate the new measurements and standardize the abbreviations for distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity, the journal has adopted a new format for reporting visual acuity (Figure 1). These new abbreviations acknowledge that visual acuities measured after implantation of new IOLs and following refractive procedures should be introduced into scientific parlance and clinical practice. The format includes changes to some previously used terms. “Best” has been deleted from abbreviations such as “best corrected visual acuity” as it is understood that the best (full) correction is used to perform visual acuity testing. In our experience, few measurements are performed with correction other than glasses; therefore, we have also deleted “spectacle” from the abbreviations.Figure 1: Terms and abbreviations for visual acuity measurements.We suggest that authors of other ophthalmic journals adopt these abbreviations to optimize and simplify the reporting of visual acuity results. Doing so will make it easier to compare results. Specifically indicating the distance at which near and intermediate visual acuity was tested in a metric format, for example, intermediate testing at 50, 60, 70 or 80 cm, provides the reader with an easy and quick overview of the distance used in each measurement. To make application of these new terms easy for authors, the list of abbreviations will be published in the contents pages of the journal and on the journal web site (www.jcrsjournal.org).