Abstract
Purpose: Optometrists are well positioned to help expand low vision (LV) services
and improve their availability and accessibility. Determinants of participation in LV service provision must be well understood to facilitate successful service expansion. This survey aimed to investigate optometrists' professional confidence in the delivery of LV services and attitudes towards further learning.
Methods: An online survey was emailed to a sample of College of Optometrists
members. Respondents rated their confidence in different areas of core optometric practice; confidence in LV was compared with confidence in other areas. Respondents also rated their confidence in undertaking multiple tasks involved in LV service delivery and in routine optometric practice; confidence was compared between optometrists who do and do not work in a LV service. Attitudes towards learning more about assessing and supporting patients with a vision impairment (VI) were recorded.
Results: The survey received 451 recorded responses (15.1% response rate).
Optometrists who do not work in a LV service reported significantly lower confidence in LV than in other areas of core optometric practice, whereas optometrists who work in a LV service reported significantly higher confidence in LV than in other areas. Additionally, optometrists who do not work in a LV service reported significantly lower confidence in all tasks involved in LV service delivery than optometrists who work in a LV service (p<0.001 for all tasks). Approximately 80% of respondents were interested in learning more about assessing and supporting patients with a VI.
Conclusions: Optometrists who do not work in a LV service have relatively low
confidence in LV, which could contribute to low motivation to participate in LV
service provision. There is sizeable interest in learning more about assessing and
supporting patients with a VI, which could help to increase motivation to participate in LV service provision.
and improve their availability and accessibility. Determinants of participation in LV service provision must be well understood to facilitate successful service expansion. This survey aimed to investigate optometrists' professional confidence in the delivery of LV services and attitudes towards further learning.
Methods: An online survey was emailed to a sample of College of Optometrists
members. Respondents rated their confidence in different areas of core optometric practice; confidence in LV was compared with confidence in other areas. Respondents also rated their confidence in undertaking multiple tasks involved in LV service delivery and in routine optometric practice; confidence was compared between optometrists who do and do not work in a LV service. Attitudes towards learning more about assessing and supporting patients with a vision impairment (VI) were recorded.
Results: The survey received 451 recorded responses (15.1% response rate).
Optometrists who do not work in a LV service reported significantly lower confidence in LV than in other areas of core optometric practice, whereas optometrists who work in a LV service reported significantly higher confidence in LV than in other areas. Additionally, optometrists who do not work in a LV service reported significantly lower confidence in all tasks involved in LV service delivery than optometrists who work in a LV service (p<0.001 for all tasks). Approximately 80% of respondents were interested in learning more about assessing and supporting patients with a VI.
Conclusions: Optometrists who do not work in a LV service have relatively low
confidence in LV, which could contribute to low motivation to participate in LV
service provision. There is sizeable interest in learning more about assessing and
supporting patients with a VI, which could help to increase motivation to participate in LV service provision.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 829-839 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 6 May 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2024 |
Keywords
- behaviour change theory
- confidence
- low vision
- optometrists
- primary care
- vision impairment