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Darren AwangDr. Gillian WardLiving and Working with Disability

Applied Research GroupCoventry University

Valerie

http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/support-us/real-life-examples/valeries-story,558,SA.html

Sight loss – facts & figures�Worldwide

� c.314 million people with visual impairments

� c.82% are over 50 years old World Health Organisation 2009

�UK � 2 million people in UK with a sight problem

� Over 370,000 registered as partially sighted

� Increased incidence with old age

� 95% of people with sight problems are over 65

� Macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy main causes

RNIB 2005

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Background to the study

�What is the status of visual impairment

within Occupational Therapy curriculum development?

�What are the gaps in knowledge?

�What post graduate learning opportunities

exist and what do therapists want?

Aim of the research

to identify the continuing professional

development needs of occupational therapists in the area of sight loss and

to identify ways that these educational

needs could be met to improve the lives of people with sight loss

Objectives� To examine training issues around sight loss

amongst occupational therapists

� To investigate the inclusion of sight loss within the occupational therapy curriculum

� To explore the continuing professional development needs for occupational therapists in the area of sight loss

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Who was involved in the research?

�Living and Working with Disability Applied Research Group, Coventry University (researchers)

�Thomas Pocklington Trust (funders)

� College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Sections - Older People and Housing

� Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) providing OT education (participants)

MethodCross sectional survey design

Part one – an online questionnaire to

members of the College of Occupational

Therapists Specialist Sections - Older

People and Housing

Part two – telephone interviews with Higher

Education Institutes offering undergraduate

occupational therapy education

Part 1 response rates

(practitioners)� The email link sent to 870 members of the specialist

sections. � 519 College of OT Specialist Section - Older people � 351 College of OT Specialist Section - Housing.

� 248 individuals logged in and started the questionnaire. 241 are included in the analysis. 7 were excluded

� The overall response rate to the survey was 28%.- 160 (30.8%) older people specialist section members

- 81 (23.6%) housing specialist section members

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Key results – part one

� 70% (162/232) worked with older adults and likely to

be working with people with sight loss

� One third felt that their education had not provided

them with sufficient knowledge on sight loss for their

first post

� Following their education only 2% felt confident in

assessing and giving advice to people with visual

impairment whilst 59% described themselves as being “not at all” or “barely” confident

Key Results– part one� A quarter stated that their sight loss training needs

had not been fully met post qualification in terms of

Continuing Professional Development opportunities

� Sight loss was viewed as a secondary diagnosis

during assessment, a quarter did not include sight loss routinely within their assessments

� 58% had taken additional training and overall only

14% felt that they were confident in assessment and planning interventions

Training needs� Regardless of whether any additional training had been

undertaken 81% needed more training

� Of these 69% wanted intermediate level training

� 58% thought it needed to be accredited but 42% did not feel this was important

� Priority areas included:

� Adaptation of the environment, lighting, risk assessment,

colour contrast, assistive technology, impact on

occupational performance, eye conditions, mobility

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Part two response rates (HEIs)

�30 HEIs in the United Kingdom (excluding

the pilot site) offering a BSc. (Honours) Degree in Occupational Therapy

�19 were interviewed (overall response rate

63%)

Findings- part two

�95% said sight loss was only partly addressed in their curriculum with nearly

two thirds (63%) stating it had a low priority

�45% felt sight loss deserved more

emphasis due to the increasing population

of older people and reflections made as

part of participating in this research

Findings- part two� None felt their graduates were well prepared to

work with people who have sight loss

� 79% felt that barriers existed to increasing sight

loss education particularly in relation to

curriculum pressures and the availability of

expertise

� Almost all felt that extra resources related to

sight loss would be helpful

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Conclusions

There is much to be done to equip

occupational therapists with the skills and knowledge needed to support best practice

to improve outcomes for people with sight

loss.

UK Vision Strategy3 strategic outcomes are identified in the UK Vision

Strategy:

1. Improving the eye health of the people of the UK.

2. Eliminating avoidable sight loss and delivering

excellent support for people with sight loss.

3. Inclusion, participation and independence for

people with sight loss.

http://www.vision2020uk.org.uk/

How to obtain further information

A full report in the form of an ‘Occasional Paper’ entitled:

� Improving outcomes for people with sight loss: identifying the Continuing Professional Development needs of Occupational Therapists is available from: Thomas Pocklington Trust, 5 Castle Row, Horticultural Place, London W4 4JQ Web www.pocklington-trust.org.ukor see

� Campion C, Awang D, Ward G (2010) Broadening the vision: the education and training needs of occupational therapists working with people with sight loss. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(9), 413-421.

Contact details: Darren Awang d.awang@coventry.ac.uk

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References � Action for Blind People (2010) available at:

http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/support-us/real-life-

examples/valeries-story,558,SA.html Accessed on 11/10/2010

� RNIB (2008) Available at: http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/Research/statistics/prevalence/Documents/2008_3_Revised-Prevalence_Stats_PDF.PDF Accessed on

11/10/2010

� VISION 2020. Available at: http://www.vision2020uk.org.uk/Accessed on 11/10/2010

� World Health Organisation (2009) Visual impairment and blindness, fact sheet no. 282. Available at:

www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/ Accessed on

11/10/2010