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News > Education & Resources > Caring for Patients with Low Vision: The Value of Modern Technology
According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System (VEHSS), more than 7 million Americans have vision loss or blindness. In 2019, they estimated that 19.8 million Americans aged 40 and over were living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although there are many people in need of care, not all providers specialize in this area. Whether you specialize in low vision or want to know more about the tools and services available, this post is for you.
Caring for patients who have a wide variety of needs requires a wide variety of resources – from modern software to the right tools to share with patients. In honor of Low Vision and AMD Awareness Month, let’s dive into interactive tools, accessibility, and patient resources you can take advantage of.
See for Yourself
Having the right technology can elevate your practice in many ways. Take virtual reality (VR) tools for example. The National Eye Institute (NEI)’s See What I See VR Experience shows you what someone with different types of vision loss might experience. The free app includes VR experiences for AMD, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, as well as four quizzes to test your patients’ knowledge on each disease.
VR tools are great because they help patients and professionals alike. However, we know it's not always easy to incorporate extra hands-on tools into your workflow. With tablet-friendly tech like Eyefinity EHR, you aren’t tied to a clunky desktop, giving you more flexibility to share resources like this one with your patients.
Ensure Accessibility
Accessibility is critical to those with low vision. Luckily, many of the popular devices we use have it already built in. Companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google have guides for their accessibility features, some even include assistive technology.
As we continue to be more digitally connected than ever, we need to have accessible websites and online spaces. Making sure your pages are thoughtfully structured and adding alternative text to images are simple ways to ensure your website is accessible.
Great practice management technology is also critical to delivering quality care. Offering online scheduling ensures that your patients have a digitally accessible experience. Eyefinity Practice Management empowers your patients to book appointments 24/7, and with the help of Electonic Patient Notifications you can reach your patients the way that works best for them!
Power Moments that Matter
One of the best ways to participate in Low Vision/AMD Awareness Month is to share resources with your patients. Vision loss impacts everyone differently, so whether you are looking to share fact sheets and printables or something more in-depth, we’ve gathered some of our favorites.
We know you don’t have all the time in the world (although you probably wish you did), which is why Eyefinity is dedicated to saving you as much as possible so that you can power moments that matter.
Show Your Support
Show your support on your practice’s social media channels with ready-to-use posts from NEI, and a guide to engaging with the media if you want to partner with local news stations to spread awareness.
Although these are all great resources, you are your community’s best resource when it comes to all things eye care. Eye care professionals like you play an important role in making sure people with low vision have access to the resources they need. At Eyefinity we’re all about helping practices make the complex simple, and we hope gathering these resources did just that.
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