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Revista de la Universidad Industrial de Santander. Salud
Print version ISSN 0121-0807On-line version ISSN 2145-8464
Abstract
PALENCIA-FLOREZ, Diana Cristina; OVIEDO-CACERES, María del Pilar; ARIAS-PINEDA, Karen Natalia and GUISASOLA-VALENCIA, Laura. Criteria for referral and barriers to care for people with low vision in Santander. Rev. Univ. Ind. Santander. Salud [online]. 2023, vol.55, e68. Epub Dec 04, 2023. ISSN 0121-0807. https://doi.org/10.18273/saluduis.55.e:23031.
Objective:
To identify referral criteria and barriers perceived by optometrists for the rehabilitation of people with low vision in Santander.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study, which included 82 optometrists from municipalities of Santander, selected by purposive sampling. A questionnaire with 36 questions was designed to collect data that are reported using descriptive statistics.
Results:
A total of 47.5% of the professionals are clear about the level of visual acuity to classify a person with low vision. The main barriers identified for access to low vision services were: the referral process within the health system is cumbersome (74.39%), lack of services nearby (57.31%) and considering that patients cannot afford the aids (48.78%).
Discussion:
It is necessary to strengthen the training of optometrists to improve the processes of identification, care and rehabilitation.
Conclusions:
It is important to prioritize visual impairment in Santander in order to strengthen the health care network.
Keywords : Low vision; Barriers to access to health services; Rehabilitation services; Disability studies, Assistive technology; Professional practice; Optometrists; Health systems.