Impact of the eye clinic liaison officer at an NHS foundation trust: a retrospective study

Menon, Vaishnavi; Treen, Talia; Burdon, Michael; Batra, Ruchika

doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2020-000587

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Ideally, clinicians should be cognizant of this at the time of diagnosis and routine screening for depression included during ongoing care. This could be integrated via low vision and ECLO (Eye Care Liaison Officer) services, which could signpost services and provide emotional support at the time of diagnosis 17 . Clinicians should also understand the frustration and loss of identity related to vision loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Impact of Vision Loss

Boagey¹,

Jolly²,

Ferrey³

2022

J Ment Health Clin Psychol

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A diagnosis of conditions leading to vision loss can be devastating and often impacts mental health. Understanding this allows us to consider what provisions might help those who are impacted. We undertook 18 semi-structured interviews with patients diagnosed with eye disease leading to vision loss to explore its psychological impact. Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), providing a snapshot of their depression and anxiety levels at the time of interview. NVivo-12 software (QSR International Ltd, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA) was used to inductively analyse and code data to identify themes related to the psychological impact. Participants had a mean BDI score of 9.6, and thematic analysis generated five key themes and associated subthemes. Coming to terms with the diagnosis included discussion of subthemes of “denial” and moving towards “acceptance”. Effects on mental health included depression/low mood, anxiety, and stress-related worsening of vision. Loss included various losses following initial loss of vision. Effects on identity included facing a curtailed life, worry that visual impairment might define a person’s identity, and feelings of frustration with their own loss of function and with others’ reactions to their disability. The future included thoughts about long-term consequences, both negative and positive (e.g., maximizing experiences given the vision one has left). Although such a diagnosis will nearly always have a psychological impact and require work to move toward acceptance, support could mitigate impact on mental health, such as practical support (e.g., advice on low vision aids), and psychological support.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Impact of Vision Loss

Boagey¹,

Jolly²,

Ferrey³

2022

J Ment Health Clin Psychol

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“… 9 Eye care liaison officers (ECLOs) are another valuable source of support, as they can provide advice, emotional help, information and signposting to other services as well as streamlining the process to improve patient care. 15 16 Participants reported ECLO support being helpful as a source of information in busy clinics so they were not left feeling as lost (see box 4 ). ECLOs are not found in all eye care clinics in the UK despite evidence that they are effective.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research shows that using a proactive approach from the start and enabling patients to ask for help can improve long-term outcomes 9. Eye care liaison officers (ECLOs) are another valuable source of support, as they can provide advice, emotional help, information and signposting to other services as well as streamlining the process to improve patient care 15 16. Participants reported ECLO support being helpful as a source of information in busy clinics so they were not left feeling as lost (see box 4).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘It was like being hit with a brick’: a qualitative study on the effect of clinicians’ delivery of a diagnosis of eye disease for patients in primary and secondary care

2022

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ObjectivesTo explore patients’ experiences of getting a diagnosis of eye disease, the psychological impact of this and how this could be improved.DesignAn exploratory qualitative interview study using a narrative approach and inductive methods.SettingThis study was conducted with patients who had attended ophthalmic appointments in primary and secondary care and in opticians located in the South of England.Participants18 people diagnosed with eye disease in England.ResultsFour themes were identified: the convoluted process of being diagnosed, the impact of clinicians’ words, the search for information and reflections on what could be improved. The prolonged wait for a definitive diagnosis was a source of frustration and anxiety for many patients. Professionals’ words and tone when delivering a diagnosis sometimes affected a patient’s view of their diagnosis and their later ability to come to terms with it. Patients were desperate for information, but many felt they were not provided with sufficient information at the time of diagnosis and did not know whether to trust information found online. Participants felt the provision of a hospital liaison service and/or counselling could mitigate the impact on patients and families.ConclusionsInteractions with clinicians can have a lasting impact on how a diagnosis is experienced and how well the patient is able to come to terms with their visual impairment. Receiving little or no information left patients feeling lost and unsupported. This led them to search for information from less reliable sources. Clinicians should consider how they communicate a diagnosis to patients, how and when they offer information about diagnosis and prognosis and where possible signpost patients to additional support systems and counselling services as early as possible.

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“…Early intervention services such as the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) can provide important emotional and practical support following a diagnosis of irreversible sight loss, and bridge the gap between health and wider support services (59). Being based in eye clinics, ECLOs provide advice and support relating to a wide range of needs including registration of a V.I., hospital appointments, welfare benefits, education, employment, housing, low vision aids or training, travel and social networks and by referring and signposting patients and their families to social services, sight loss charities or support groups (60). However, not all eye clinics have early intervention support such as an ECLO and minority ethnic communities may be underrepresented in these services, with 96.4% of service users being from white communities and only 3.6% from black and other minority ethnic communities (59).…”

Section: Wider Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

A rapid review of evidence relating to service use, experiences, and support needs of adults from minority ethnic communities along the eyecare pathway in the United Kingdom

Heinze¹,

Jones²,

Makwana

2023

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundThere is growing awareness of the health inequalities experienced by minority ethnic communities, who make up an increasing proportion of the United Kingdom (UK) population and have been found to be at increased risk of visual impairment (V.I.). V.I. impacts on a wide range of life domains including employment, social functioning and activities of daily living. Considering existing health inequalities, the increased risk of V.I. and its wide-ranging impact, it is important to understand the experiences of adults from minority ethnic communities living with V.I. in the UK.MethodsA rapid evidence review of academic and gray literature published since 2005 and in English was performed. A search of AMED, CINAHL Plus and MEDLINE via EBSCOhost identified 969 articles. Articles were included in the review if they reported findings relating to the UK-context, to adults from minority ethnic communities living with V.I., and to experiences of V.I. and the eyecare pathway.ResultsA total of 11 academic articles and 4 charity reports presented findings relating to perceptions of V.I. and eye disease (n = 3), access to services and service use (n = 5), impact of interventions (n = 7), the wider impact of V.I. (n = 2), and registration status (n = 1). Much of the literature focused on primary eyecare resulting in a comprehensive list of barriers and recommendations to increase eye tests. Less research addressed experiences and use of services further along the eyecare pathway although use of services may be low. Overall, the research on the experiences of adults with V.I. from minority ethnic communities in the UK remains anecdotal, outdated or unavailable. There are substantial gaps in the evidence relating to the wider impact of V.I., the impact of perceptions of V.I., and the use of services beyond primary eyecare.ConclusionsThis review summarizes our current knowledge of the experiences of adults from minority ethnic communities living with V.I. in the UK and highlights substantial gaps in the evidence. The findings provide practical implications for practitioners and researchers committed to addressing health inequalities in the field of eyecare in the UK.

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Impact of the eye clinic liaison officer at an NHS foundation trust: a retrospective study

Cited by 12 publications

References 11 publications

Psychological Impact of Vision Loss

Psychological Impact of Vision Loss

‘It was like being hit with a brick’: a qualitative study on the effect of clinicians’ delivery of a diagnosis of eye disease for patients in primary and secondary care

A rapid review of evidence relating to service use, experiences, and support needs of adults from minority ethnic communities along the eyecare pathway in the United Kingdom

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