Multisource evaluation of multidisciplinary low-vision services for children and young people. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thomas, Rachel; Crossland, Michael D; Dahlmann-Noor, Annegret H
• Is Part Of: British journal of visual impairment. Volume 33:Number 2(2015:May)
• Page Start: 146
• Page End: 154
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Adolescent health services -- blindness -- child health services -- health services evaluation -- low -- vision; People with visual disabilities -- Periodicals; Blind -- Periodicals; Vision disorders -- Periodicals; Blindness -- Periodicals; People with visual disabilities -- Services for -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Blind -- Services for -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 362.4105
• DOI: 10.1177/0264619615576583
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-6196

Abstract

Professional bodies and healthcare commissioners recommend the provision of care for children and young people with sight impairment (SI) as a topic for quality improvement and service evaluation, but no unified evaluation tool is available. We aimed to develop and implement a tool to evaluate the quality of children's low-vision services (LVS). We identified and reviewed available standards for LVS from government documents and surveys carried out by patient support organisations, developed a clinic proforma and six survey tools for families and professionals, and used these tools to carry out a first service evaluation of multidisciplinary LVS provided by children's eye clinics, social services, and education teams for SI students in Bedfordshire and London, United Kingdom. The first service evaluation round showed that services provided are of high standard, but also identified specific areas for improvement such as provision of information in preferred format, formation of parent and young people support groups, and an unmet need for emotional support.