Dr.Vanshaj Rai

Dr.S Priya, Dr.Aditi Parab, Dr. nikhila yadav

Abstract

Aim: To understand barriers in acceptance of LVA in retinal diseases Methods: Patients with retinal diseases who improved with LVA but were unwilling to utilize LVA were interviewed using questionnaire. Age, gender, occupation, diagnosis and reason for rejecting LVA were analyzed. Results: 248 patients with retinal disorders referred to LVA clinic between Jan 2018- Jan 2019 were included. 58% were > 40 yrs. M:F-3:1. Acceptance was highest in patients >40 yrs (64%) & for macular disorders (63%) and lowest among those < 15 yrs (12%) & for retinitis pigmentosa (21%). Commonest causes of non-acceptance were social stigma (p-0.001) in <40 yrs; fear of loss of employment (p-0.01) in 40-60 yrs and low necessity (p-0.001) in patients >60 yrs. Low affordability was stated by 18%. Denial of magnitude of illness was high (32%) among parents of children< 15 yrs. Conclusion: A better understanding of these barriers in acceptance of LVA plays an important role in rehabilitation of retinal blindness.