Expectations and perceived benefits of a hospital-based low vision clinic: Results of an exploratory, qualitative research study

Background: It is known that unmet expectations are a common cause of patient dissatisfaction with health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the expectations of patients attending their first low vision clinic appointment in a specialist ophthalmic hospital and to determine how well their expectations were met by the low vision clinic. Method: Fifteen adults with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and significant vision loss were recruited. A one-to-one, semistructured interview was performed by a research psychologist to determine the difficulties patients were experiencing and their expectations of the low vision clinic. At a further interview 3 months later patients were again asked what difficulties they were experiencing and to comment on the perceived benefits of the low vision clinic. Results: Ninety-three percent (93%) (14/15) reported difficulty with reading. Other frequently reported problems included shopping (7/15), face recognition (5/15), crossing roads (4/15) and televisio...