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. 2024 Mar 8:9:133.
doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.20907.1. eCollection 2024.

The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness survey: Review of the methodology and protocol for the seventh version (RAAB7)

Ian McCormick  1 , Robert Butcher  1   2 , Jacqueline Ramke  1   3 , Nigel M Bolster  1   4 , Hans Limburg  5 , Hannah Chroston  1 , Andrew Bastawrous  1   4 , Matthew J Burton  1   6 , Islay Mactaggart  1
Affiliations

The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness survey: Review of the methodology and protocol for the seventh version (RAAB7)

Ian McCormick et al. Wellcome Open Res. .

Abstract

The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) is a population-based cross-sectional survey methodology used to collect data on the prevalence of vision impairment and its causes and eye care service indicators among the population 50 years and older. RAAB has been used for over 20 years with modifications to the protocol over time reflected in changing version numbers; this paper describes the latest version of the methodology-RAAB7. RAAB7 is a collaborative project between the International Centre for Eye Health and Peek Vision with guidance from a steering group of global eye health stakeholders. We have fully digitised RAAB, allowing for fast, accurate and secure data collection. A bespoke Android mobile application automatically synchronises data to a secure Amazon Web Services virtual private cloud when devices are online so users can monitor data collection in real-time. Vision is screened using Peek Vision's digital visual acuity test for mobile devices and uncorrected, corrected and pinhole visual acuity are collected. An optional module on Disability is available. We have rebuilt the RAAB data repository as the end point of RAAB7's digital data workflow, including a front-end website to access the past 20 years of RAAB surveys worldwide. This website ( https://www.raab.world) hosts open access RAAB data to support the advocacy and research efforts of the global eye health community. Active research sub-projects are finalising three new components in 2024-2025: 1) Near vision screening to address data gaps on near vision impairment and effective refractive error coverage; 2) an optional Health Economics module to assess the affordability of eye care services and productivity losses associated with vision impairment; 3) an optional Health Systems data collection module to support RAAB's primary aim to inform eye health service planning by supporting users to integrate eye care facility data with population data.

Keywords: Vision impairment; blindness; cataract; data repository; effective coverage; mobile data collection; open data; population survey.

Plain language summary

In 2020 there were an estimated 1.1 billion people with vision impairment globally. Vision impairment negatively affects people’s quality of life, social inclusion and productivity. The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey tool collects information about the vision and eye health of people aged 50 years and older in a defined population. It has been used worldwide for over 20 years to inform eye health service planning. This paper outlines the current survey methodology and summarises recent and upcoming developments. The RAAB project team has updated the survey to allow users to measure vision and collect other information on mobile devices (telephones or tablets) and send the findings directly to a central computer for automated analysis. The project team has built a new website to store this information and to allow anyone interested to find out more about the surveys done to date. The RAAB project continues to develop new features to make the information collected in surveys more useful for eye health service planning and eye health advocacy.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Relationships between RAAB stakeholders.
This diagram is intended to convey the dissemination of RAAB methods from the project team to end users via a network of trainers. The number of active RAAB trainers is greater than four. RAAB users are teams implementing surveys.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. The spectacle ownership and distance visual acuity screening workflow in RAAB7.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Diagram showing data flow through the RAAB7 project.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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