AzTrials
AzTrials

Low VisionBeST-AIDNCT04066075

Beacon Sensors and Telerehabilitation for Low Vision

A study testing Low Vision Rehabilitation in people with Low Vision, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 11 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The successful application of magnification devices for reading and daily tasks is predicated on their correct use by individuals with low vision (LV). Barriers related to transportation, geography, and/or co-morbidities often limit LV patients' ability to attend several in-office training sessions as part of low… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Low Vision
What is being tested?
Low Vision Rehabilitation
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
61 participants
Where
11 sitesUnited States
Study dates
10 Oct 2019to 28 Nov 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Any level of vision loss due to any ocular disease who are age 18 and older, and who have received new magnification device(s) for the first time (i.e., hand-held optical magnifiers, portable electronic video magnifiers, some stand magnifiers and CCTVs) from one of our participating sites.

Who cannot join

  • schedules not permitting participation in planned study visits (including planning to move or take extended vacation during study period),
  • inability to understand study procedures or communicate responses to visual stimuli in a consistent manner (cognitive impairment as per TICS),
  • substance abuse,
  • significant hearing loss (unable to hear communication by phone or via videoconferencing),
  • significant medical condition likely to limit participation or lifespan, individuals who require other types of LVR training or intervention (e.g., technology/computer skills, psychosocial),
  • magnifier device has features that would not work in conjunction with the beacon sensors: (1) hands-free and do not have a place where the patient's hand is holding the device during use (therefore, they would not register a significant change in temperature), and/or (2) no surface area of at least 1"x1" to which the beacon sensor could be attached without interfering with the device.

Trial locations and contacts

11 sites in 1 country.

11 sites in 1 country

United States11 sites
  • Low Vision Services, PLC: Low Vision Learning Center

    Alexandria, Virginia, 22314

  • New England College of Optometry

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

  • Boston University Eye Associates, Inc.

    Brockton, Massachusetts, 02301

  • Southern Califonia College of Optometry

    Fullerton, California, 92831

  • Chan Family Optometry

    Grass Valley, California, 95945

  • UCLA Stein Eye Institute

    Los Angeles, California, 90095

  • Mid-Michigan Eye Care

    Midland, Michigan, 48640

  • Eye Vision Associates

    Nesconset, New York, 11767

  • University of Nebraska: Weigel Williamson Center for Visual Rehabilitation at the Truhlsen Eye Institute

    Omaha, Nebraska, 68198

  • Frank Stein & Paul S. May Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation at The Eye Institute

    San Francisco, California, 94102

  • See What You Miss Optometry

    Santa Monica, California, 90401

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Beacon Sensors & Telerehabilitation to Assess & Improve Use of Devices for Visual Functioning

The successful application of magnification devices for reading and daily tasks is predicated on their correct use by individuals with low vision (LV). Barriers related to transportation, geography, and/or co-morbidities often limit LV patients' ability to attend several in-office training sessions as part of low vision rehabilitation (LVR) to optimize visual function with magnification devices. A promising solution is real-time videoconferencing to provide telerehabilitation, involving remotely delivered LVR services by a LVR provider in office to a patient at home. Telerehabilitation for LV appears to be feasible and acceptable by both patients and LVR providers, yet there are no published outcomes on the potential to improve patients' visual functioning. Another key issue in LVR is the need for an effective system to continually assess how patients are functioning at home. Ideally this would involve a non-invasive, efficient method to assess when magnifier device abandonment occurs, so that a timely telerehabilitation session can be initiated. Small Bluetooth low energy beacon sensors attached to the handles of magnifiers can collect real-time data regarding minute-to-minute environmental changes, which might serve as an indicator of magnifier use by LV patients at home. Specifically, the investigators propose to assess the potential for telerehabilitation to enhance visual function by providing remotely-delivered LVR training to use magnification devices. Following one in-office training session for new magnification device(s), the investigators aim to determine if there is additional gain in visual functioning by randomizing subjects to telerehabilitation or additional in-office LVR (active control). Participants will be assessed before and after two consecutive periods: (1) one month after a single LVR training session, followed by (2) up to three LVR sessions over a three month period either via telerehabilitation in the participants' homes or LVR in-office. The investigators will determine which patient characteristics and/or magnification devices are most likely to benefit from telerehabilitation. The investigators will also determine whether data from Bluetooth beacon sensors are valid indicators of hand-held magnifier device usage by LV patients at home. The study investigators will deploy Estimote Sticker beacon sensors to subjects randomized to telerehabilitation or additional in-office LVR during the same study period. It is anticipated that beacon sensors will measure significantly increased temperature and/or motion when placed on the part of the magnification device held by LV patients while performing daily activities. Beacon sensor data will determine if it is feasible to assess when magnification devices are used, and if the frequency of magnifier use changes following telerehabilitation or in-office LVR. This work will evaluate and refine the procedures for implementing these technologies for LVR, in order to develop future randomized controlled trial protocols. The investigators envision that telerehabilitation and beacon sensors could improve LV patient outcomes by providing follow-up LVR services in a more efficient and timely manner.

Conditions
Low Vision
Being tested
Low Vision Rehabilitation
Medical subject headings
Vision, Low

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Low Vision RehabilitationBehavioural

    Low Vision Rehabilitation for use of magnification devices for near reading tasks

Study groups in NCT04066075
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Telerehabilitation with low vision providerExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Low Vision Rehabilitation
Telerehabilitation w/ low vision provider plus tele-extenderExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Low Vision Rehabilitation
Usual Care (active control)Active comparatorNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Low Vision Rehabilitation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Activity Inventory

    change in the 'Activity Inventory' questionnaire; scores for reading ability were Rasch analyzed in logit units with higher or positive scores indicating less difficulty (i.e., improvement)(Higher values represent a better outcome/ability). Range of changes from 1 month to 4 months after receiving a magnification device were -2.06 to 2.59.

    Measured: change from 1 month to 4 months after receiving a magnification device

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. MNread Test of Reading Acuity

    change in reading test measured during the telerehabilitation sessions for participants who completed the MNread at two telerehabilitation sessions to indicate their reading acuity (smallest size read in logMAR units)

    Measured: between 1 month and 4 months

  2. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

    change in questionnaire; scale ranges from 0 to 15 with higher values indicating greater depression

    Measured: baseline, 4 months

  3. Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale

    change in questionnaire; subscales range from 0 to 21 for both anxiety and depression with higher values indicating greater depression or anxiety

    Measured: baseline, 4 months

  4. MNread Test of Reading Speed

    change in reading test measured during the telerehabilitation sessions for participants who completed the MNread at two telerehabilitation sessions to indicate their log reading speed measured as words per minute.

    Measured: between 1 month and 4 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted26 Aug 2019
  2. Study start10 Oct 2019
  3. Primary completion28 Nov 2023
  4. Study completion28 Nov 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
61 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04066075
Sponsor's protocol ID
#19-000267 and #18-002041
Acronym
BeST-AID
Status last verified
Jun 2025
First submitted
19 Aug 2019
Last updated
29 Jun 2025
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Bittner AK, Yoshinaga P, Bowers A, Shepherd JD, Succar T, Ross NC. Feasibility of Telerehabilitation for Low Vision: Satisfaction Ratings by Providers and Patients. Optom Vis Sci. 2018 Sep;95(9):865-872. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001260.

    PubMed 30169361
  • Bittner AK, Jacobson AJ, Khan R. Feasibility of Using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon Sensors to Detect Magnifier Usage by Low Vision Patients. Optom Vis Sci. 2018 Sep;95(9):844-851. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001266.

    PubMed 30169359
  • Bittner AK, Yoshinaga PD, Rittiphairoj T, Li T. Telerehabilitation for people with low vision. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Jan 13;1(1):CD011019. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011019.pub4.

    PubMed 36637057
  • Bittner AK, Yoshinaga PD, Shepherd JD, Kaminski JE, Malkin AG, Chun MW, Chan TL, Deemer AD, Ross NC; BeST-AID Study Team. Acceptability of Telerehabilitation for Magnification Devices for the Visually Impaired Using Various Approaches to Facilitate Accessibility. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2022 Aug 1;11(8):4. doi: 10.1167/tvst.11.8.4.

    PubMed 35917136
  • Bittner AK, Estabrook M, Dennis N. Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon Sensors to Document Handheld Magnifier Use at Home by People with Low Vision. Sensors (Basel). 2021 Oct 25;21(21):7065. doi: 10.3390/s21217065.

    PubMed 34770374
  • Kaminski JE, Yoshinaga PD, Chun MW, Yu M, Shepherd JD, Chan TL, Deemer A, Bittner AK; BeST-AID Study Team. Value of Handheld Optical Illuminated Magnifiers for Sustained Silent Reading by Visually Impaired Adults. Optom Vis Sci. 2023 May 1;100(5):312-318. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002013. Epub 2023 Mar 22.

    PubMed 36951854
  • Bittner AK, Kaminski JE, Ross NC, Shepherd JD, Thoene SJ, Bui SZ, Yoshinaga PD; BeST-AID Study Team. Telerehabilitation Training to Facilitate Improved Reading Ability with New Magnification Devices for Low Vision. Optom Vis Sci. 2022 Oct 1;99(10):743-749. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001944. Epub 2022 Sep 6.

    PubMed 36067410
  • Bittner AK, Kaminski JE, Yoshinaga PD, Shepherd JD, Chan TL, Malkin AG, Deemer A, Gobeille M, Thoene SJ, Rossi A, Ross NC; BeST-AID Study Team. Outcomes of Telerehabilitation Versus In-Office Training With Magnification Devices for Low Vision: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2024 Jan 2;13(1):6. doi: 10.1167/tvst.13.1.6.

    PubMed 38214688

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Low Vision Rehabilitation in people with Low Vision, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 11 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 11 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 29 Jun 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Activity Inventory (time frame: change from 1 month to 4 months after receiving a magnification device). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04066075, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Jun 2025.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in