Essential components of rehabilitation services provided to visually impaired people

ABSTRACT

Clinical relevance

This study was conducted to determine the essential components in the delivery of vision rehabilitation services. The findings could be useful in the planning of vision rehabilitation services by optometrists or health managers.

Background

Appropriate models of delivering vision rehabilitation services are a challenge for service providers worldwide. Studies have not revealed the key characteristics of a suitable model for delivering vision rehabilitation services. This study investigated the viewpoints of the key informants for identifying the most important components of a suitable model for delivering vision rehabilitation services.

Methods

Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted with 19 participants including managers and service providers in Iran. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. An inductive framework analysis approach was used to analyse the data. Qualitative analysis was done using the MAXQDA 10 software.

Results

Four main themes emerged from the data, including creating maximum access (three subcategories: screening for visual impairment, creating a stepped‐model for service delivery, and public and professional awareness of vision rehabilitation services), early intervention (two sub‐categories: timely identification of people at the onset of disability and starting off with counselling services), need for financial support (two subcategories: providing affordable visual aid equipment and insurance coverage), and informed and skilled personnel (two subcategories: training vision rehabilitation specialists and familiarity of the rehabilitation staff with the rehabilitation program).

Conclusion

This study identified the key features of an appropriate model for providing vision rehabilitation services to blind and visually impaired people from the viewpoints of key informants who were experienced in providing vision rehabilitation services. The findings have valuable implications for policy‐making and planning for vision rehabilitation services by the health system.

KEYWORDS:

• Blindness
• service delivery
• vision rehabilitation
• visually impaired

Acknowledgement

This study was part of a PhD thesis supported by Iran University of Medical Sciences (grant No: IR.IUMS.REC.1396.9421532002.72.01.6931).

Supporting information

Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher’s website:

Appendix S1. Topic guide for interview with key informants.

Appendix S2. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ): 32‐item checklist