Abstract
Background Especially in rural areas, access of visually impaired people to ophthalmic care
and counselling can be limited. The Eye Van is a project supported by the Ministry
for Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg which offers visually
impaired people an on-the-spot ophthalmological examination and counselling on low-vision
aids and social support services. The aim of this project was to evaluate the quality
of care provided to visually impaired people in the rural areas of South Baden.
Materials and Methods Between 2016 and 2019, 45 villages in South Baden participated in this project. The
visits were advertised in the local press. Appointments were assigned and participant
eligibility was assessed over the telephone by the local Federation of the Blind and
Partially Sighted in South Baden. During the on-site visits, a medical history was
obtained from participants, who then received a comprehensive ophthalmological examination
and counselling on low-vision aids and social support services. Interviews were conducted
in order to determine the expectations of the participants and to assess their quality
of life. A second interview, focused on the measures that had been implemented and
changes in the participantsʼ quality of life, was carried out three months later.
Results In total, 264 participants were examined. Of these, 101 participants fulfilled the
criteria of moderate/severe visual impairment or blindness defined by the WHO (World
Health Organization). The mean age of the visually impaired participants was 85 years.
The median decimal visual acuity was 0.08. The median length of time since the participantsʼ
last ophthalmological examination was one year. Among the visually impaired participants,
13% did not have any low-vision aids. Their use was recommended to 62% of the visually
impaired participants. The main expectation of participants was counselling on low-vision
aids and support services. Among all the participants, 42 did one interview and 28
did two interviews. In the second interview, 72% of the participants claimed to have
implemented the recommendations. There was no statistically significant change in
their quality of life.
Conclusion The access of visually impaired people to ophthalmic care does not seem to be limited
in the rural areas of South Baden. Nevertheless, there was a high demand for counselling
on low-vision aids and social support services.
Key words
visual impairment - visual aid - low-vision - rural areas - healthcare research
