Low vision service delivery: an audit of newly developed outreach clinics in Northern Ireland.
Recent publications recommend that low vision services are multi-professional; easily accessible; freely available to all those with visual impairment; monitored by professional and patient groups, and responsive to user feedback. These standards were applied when developing low vision outreach services in Northern Ireland in 1999/2000. Results are reported of the complete clinical audit cycle, coupled with a patient satisfaction telephone questionnaire, which was used to evaluate the service. Of the 48 patients randomly selected from the list of clinic attendees, 28 (58%) were female, 27 (56%) over 80 years of age and 38 (78%) had a primary ocular diagnosis of age related macular degeneration (AMD). Of the 46 low vision aids issued at patients' first appointments, 30 (67%) were illuminated stand magnifiers and 29 (63%) had magnification levels of x5 or less. A total of 46 (96%) patients reported that they had benefited from low vision services.
Lindsay
J
J
Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, UK. jenny.lindsay@royalhospitals.n-i.nhs.uk
Bickerstaff
D
D
McGlade
A
A
Toner
A
A
Jackson
A J
AJ
D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D009660:Northern Ireland; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000628:therapy*