Abstract:
Introduction: Low vision services and devices assist rehabilitation of low vision patients, however, these facilities are not fully utilized in Ghana. These services and devices prevents visually impaired people from total blindness. Studies have indicated that, inadequate knowledge and other barriers such as inability to afford and accessibility lead to non-utilization of the services, which in turn will lead to total blindness in the low vision patients.
Objective: The objective of the study is to access the level of knowledge and barriers to the use of low vision services among eye health workers and low vision patients in selected eye health facilities in Accra, Ghana.
Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study, and employed 43 low vision patients and 65 eye health workers purposively. A structured questionnaire was designed and administered to the study participants. The data collected from respondents was entered into MS EXCEL for organization, and analyzed using STATA version 14.
Results: The study found high level of knowledge among eye health workers, although only about half the patients with low vision were been referred. Identified barriers such as lack of motivation in the area of low vision and lack of training as well as lack of standard referral pathways are some of the barriers to the non-utilization of low vision services by eye health worker. Among the low vision patients, about half the population sampled had some knowledge on the LVS, however affordability was the major barrier identified for patients.
Conclusion: Although there was adequate knowledge on LVS, it was observed that identified barrier were some of the reasons to the non-utilization of the LVS. Hence the need for recommendations such as education on low vision services, training of eye health workers and the formulation of policies on low vision services.
