title: Health education for people with macular degeneration: learning experiences and the effect on daily occupations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Discovering New Ways, a program for people with macular degeneration, was developed based on a health education model incorporating occupation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the participants' learning experience in the program and the significance for their daily occupations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within an experimental design format, a content analysis was performed. Ninety-two people with macular degeneration were interviewed 1 and 16 months after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants in the individual intervention program stated that they mastered occupational tasks as a result of the provision of assistive devices. Participants in the health education program stated that the problem-solving toolbox provided them with hope and confidence to master daily occupations. The participants'experience of learning within the health education program has provided important feedback regarding the structure of the health education model and its learning process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The health education model may be seen as a model to design early interventions for individuals with health conditions which can impact occupational performance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational Therapy, Institute of Neurosciences and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Sweden. kajsa.eklund@fhs.gu.se
authors.forename: Kajsa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eklund
authors.forename: Synneve Dahlin
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ivanoff
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic