Abstract
Background: Hospitals are required to assure reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities according to the 2016 Japanese Law to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities, but most hospitals cannot yet provide adequate accommodations. We created and assessed the usefulness of a leaflet for hospital staff that described the needs of patients with low vision and ways to support them.
Methods: Key points to support patients with low vision were summarized into a leaflet through discussions between 12 researchers of medical information centers and information support specialists for the blind. Usefulness of the leaflet was assessed by questionnaires completed by 89 staff members in the ophthalmology field.
Results: The key points in the leaflet were known to about 80% of ophthalmologists and nurses, but were not familiar to 67% of clerical staff. The leaflet was assessed as useful for all medical fields and clerical staff in hospitals.
Discussion: Even among staff in the field of ophthalmology, not everyone was familiar with key points in the leaflet. These points are easily implemented when hospital staff know about ways they can support patient needs. Dissemination of this leaflet will encourage provision of appropriate reasonable accommodations to patients with low vision in hospitals.
