Year: 2024 | Month: February | Volume: 14 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 322-331
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20240240
Barriers to Uptake of Low Vision Assistive Devices Amongst Patients with Low Vision Attending Sabatia Eye Hospital, Western Kenya
Doreen Ashioya1, Evans Lang’at2, Faith Bore3, Mauline Omboto4
1Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, 2, 3, 4Department of Optometry,
1Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya.
2Optisource opticians, Nairobi, Kenya.
3Georgina Eye Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
4Bliss Healthcare,Kericho, Kenya.
Corresponding Author: Doreen Ashioya
ABSTRACT
Introduction: There is an increase in the burden of low vision, yet the uptake of low vision assistive devices is still very low in developing countries. This study aimed at investigating the barriers to uptake of low vision devices amongst patients who attended Sabatia Eye Hospital low vision clinic in the year 2018.
Methods: Patients’ medical records were retrieved from patients’ files to obtain data on demographic characteristics, causes of low vision, entry Visual Acuity (VA) and the type of device that were prescribed for the patients. Telephone calls were made to seek consent from the patients and interview them on the use and the barriers to the uptake of low vision assistive devices. A total of 57 questionnaires were completed by the patients.
Results: The majority (82.5%) of patients were using low vision assistive devices, with each level of education recording at least 75% usage of the devices. Concerning marital status, 39 (83%) of the single individuals used the devices while 8 (80%) of the married individuals used the devices. All Muslim participants as well as most Christians used the assistive devices. Uptake of low vision assistive devices was considerably lower amongst participants earning less than 1000 Kenyan shillings a month. The barriers to uptake of low vision devices, from the study, were high cost of the devices (69.2 %) distance from the facility (19.2 %), lack of awareness (3.7%) and long delivery time of the devices to the patients (7.7 %).
Conclusion: Subsidizing the cost of low vision assistive devices, creating awareness amongst the patients and training them on appropriate use of these devices will increase the uptake of low vision assistive devices.
Key words: low vision, low vision assistive devices, uptake