Background: Optometrist all over India have faced various problems during this period of COVID-19. This study is to find out the challenges faced by Indian optometrists during the Second phase of COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: A self-administrated, cross-sectional survey in English was distributed using Google forms through various professional bodies across optometrists in India. The questionnaire was circulated among optometrists practicing in India through social media, namely WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook. The survey aims to find out the challenges faced by Indian optometrists during the COVID-19 lockdown.Results: In this study, a total of 107 optometrists from all over India were enrolled, among which 60 (56%) were males and 47 (44.0%) were females. Informed consent was taken online by all the participants who were included in the study. 102 optometrists (95.3%) approved to participate in the study whereas 5 optometrists (4.8%) did not approve to participate in the study. 70% of optometrists faced problems in approaching the patient considering social distancing. 56% of optometrists had difficulty in dispensing spectacles, whereas 44% of optometrists did not face any difficulty. 81% of optometrists responded to have difficulty in dispensing contact lens.Conclusions: There are no doubt, due to COVID-19 optometrists have faced several challenges across the globe. The major challenge for optometrists was to dispense spectacle and contact lenses with maintaining their safety by maintaining social distancing with the patients. Maintaining social distancing is one of the best ways of reducing the further spread of the disease across the globe.
Contact lens are used by people nowadays seen in the previous studies. To know about the knowledge on their practice and attitude towards using contact lens is necessary to state the safety measures and to understand the benefits of using contact lens by population.To investigates the correlation between knowledge on practice and attitude towards contact lens among the population of South Delhi. To identify the factors responsible for the increasing demand of contact lens among urban population of South Delhi.A semi structured questionnaire was used to know about the knowledge on practice and attitude towards contact lens use among participants.: In this survey 104 participants have participated. In between 18 to 30 years of age the contact lens wearers generally had poor knowledge on practice with regards to appropriate parameters of using contact lens and their complications. Wearers exhibiting a positive attitude with satisfactory hand hygiene and lens cleaning practices, important aspects such as lens case hygiene, storage and lens removal practices were found to be good . Compliance with after-care visits was poor. Knowledge on Practice and Attitude towards contact lens among urban population of South –Delhi in India is mainly for good vision as well as cosmetic reasons. Accordingly, there is a need for health education program for awareness on how to use contact lenses and what are the benefits for using contact lens among the non-users of contact lens in the given population. These programs should aim at promoting Contact Lens hygiene practices, Benefits of using contact lenses and eliminating the likelihood of Contact Lens related complications.
Purpose: Low vision patients have difficulties maintaining and keeping social distancing guidelines in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. This study examines COVID-19 and social distancing: Challenges faced by patients with low vision. The study objective is to identify the contribution of Covid-19 to the challenges faced by patients with low vision who visited the hospital. 35 low vision patients participated in the study. Method: A self-administrated, cross-sectional survey in English was distributed using Google forms through various professional bodies across patients with low vision visiting the hospital. The questionnaire was also presented to the patients via telephonic conversation. The study objective is to identify the contribution of Covid-19 to the challenges faced by patients with low vision visited to the hospital and examine how social distancing measure has increased the challenges faced by patients with low vision. The questionnaire will contain closed-ended questions. Result: Questionnaires were distributed to patients with low vision attending the hospital 35 responses were obtained through the questionnaire. Among the participants, 22 were males, and 19 were females. Patients who participated in the study were between 10 to 70 years of age. Social distancing increases the challenges faced by people with low vision. People with low vision had restrictive movement due to problems in maintaining social distancing and travelling outside. Challenges for low vision people depend upon the level of their sight loss; blind people rely on canes and a human guide. An individual with low vision can use their visual clues by identifying the shape and size of the object and their other senses to identify the object. Conclusion: Coronavirus pandemic is a worldwide challenge that has spread across all sectors, including human. It applies to all industries. In no doubt, COVID-19 contributes to the faced by patients with low vision and the social distancing measures, which is one of the best ways of reducing the further spread of the disease across the globe. Key words: COVID-19, Challenges, Optometrist, Low Vision, Social Distancing.
Background: Visual impairment is an important global health issue. 90% of the world's blind people reside in underdeveloped countries. According to population-based statistics, India has the most visually impaired persons (about 9 million). The world health organization (WHO) estimates that 285 million people worldwide are blind or have impaired eyesight. Hence it is necessary to have information about knowledge and awareness of low vision services among eye care practitioners to improve the low vision care in the world.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional survey was done at Dr. D. Y. Patil medical college and research centre (Ophthalmology department) between eye care practitioners practicing in Maharashtra, India, through a pre-tested standardized questionnaire.Results: In this study, retinal problems (76.1%) and glaucoma (11.1%) were reported as two major causes of low vision. Provision of best spectacle correction, rehabilitation, and referral to other hospitals/specialized centers was considered by 31.7%, 4.7%, and 23.8% practitioners, respectively. Magnifiers were found to be the most commonly prescribed low vision device (73%).Conclusions: Low eyesight is a big health issue all over the world. Low vision services assist patients in improving and maintain their functional vision. It also enhances the quality of life and everyday living skills. There are many barriers and a lack of understanding about low vision services. They assess eye care providers' awareness, knowledge, and challenges to poor vision services in Maharashtra. This study results showed a lack of awareness (33.3%) and training (33.3%) among the practitioners were the significant barriers restricting low vision services.
<p class="abstract">Low vision devices are used to improve the visual performance of patient with low vision, hence allowing them to carry out their daily activities. The objective was to provide best low vision correct to a patient with heredomacular degeneration. A 10 year old girl came to our OPD in September 2015. The patient had history of reduced vision in both eyes since, 1 year. She was now unable to distinguish writing on the school blackboard. Her mother had observed over the last 6 months that she held reading matter very close to his face. Her mother also reported that she preferred to study in dim illumination. The patient had no known precipitating factor and no family history of similar symptoms. The patient had history of using glasses. The patient was diagnosed to have adult onset heredomacular degeneration and explained that the visual prognosis is guarded. In view of no definite treatment for this condition, the patient was prescribed spectacles. Heredomacular degenerations tend to be progressive and a long-term follow up is required.</p>
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