Objective: To statistically analyze human resource allocation and service delivery for low vision in tertiary medical institutions in mainland China, and to provide a basis for the development of low vision medical rehabilitation work. Methods: All tertiary medical institutions providing ophthalmic services participated in an online survey in 2015. Descriptive statistics were used for data collection and statistical analysis was performed on staffing and service provisions for low vision in tertiary medical institutions. Results: Among 1 508 tertiary medical institutions surveyed, 559 institutions provided medical rehabilitation service(37.07%), while 949 did not provide this service (62.93%). There was a significant difference in providing low vision rehabilitation services of medical institutions at all levels (χ2=61.94, P<0.001). Among those institutions providing services, 338 institutions had low vision clinics (60.47%) with an annual average of 964 outpatient visits. There were 2 993 professionals working in low vision medical rehabilitation, with 1.98 ophthalmologists, 0.46 nursing staff, 0.41 technicians, and 0.22 support staff in each institution. Functional vision rehabilitation training for children, community education and publicity and typoscope prescriptions were the main services provided by tertiary institutions. Conclusions: A trained staff qualified to provide low vision services in tertiary medical institutions needs to be accumulated and strengthened. Human resources are quite sparse and the group talent hierarchy is imperfect. Low vision care is characterized by the low number of service clinics with programs consisting of a single treatment that can not meet the
comprehensive service needs of low vision patients in mainland China.