Abstract
Presentation Description :
Up to 43% of people with vision impairment will experience significant depressive symptoms yet few receive treatment. This research applied scientific methods to promote the systematic uptake and implementation of research findings into established routine practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of low vision rehabilitation services. In this study, a novel evidence-based integrated model of care, Problem Solving Treatment (PST), was trialled within LVR services (pragmatic, 2-arm randomised controlled trial). The main study objective was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of PST on clients’ level of depressive symptoms and person-centred outcomes as well as contextual implementation factors associated with delivery. Low vision rehabilitation staff were trained to deliver PST via telephone as part of rehabilitation service provision to those clients identified as showing depressive symptoms. This new model was designed to ensure that an effective psychological intervention is available and accessible at an early stage to those clients in need. The findings from this research demonstrated clinical and cost-effectiveness for the integrated model however important barriers to implementation, including low client engagement with the intervention were identified. A systematic and evidence-based approach for wider-implementation and scale-up are discussed.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.