Canada’s Leaders in Eye Health to Commit to Providing Optimum, Patient-Centered Care

Through research and firsthand interviews with their clients, CNIB found serious gaps in both the awareness of vision health and the experience patients have while progressing through vision loss. These gaps have prompted the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, the Canadian Association of Optometrists, the Opticians Association of Canada, and community organizations to come together with CNIB to ensure that every Canadian receives timely, high-quality, seamless vision care. This commitment is symbolized by last week signing of the Canadian Patient Charter for Vision Care in Toronto.This is the first time CNIB and Canada’s leaders in vision health have come together to make a shared commitment to providing optimal, patient-centered care across all stages of the vision loss journey – from prevention to diagnosis to treatment and post-vision loss rehabilitation therapy.A survey commissioned by CNIB for Vision Health Month 2015 shows an unhealthy dichotomy between Canadians’ strong belief in the importance of vision health and what they actually know and do about it. The National Vision Health Report, the first of its kind in Canada, presents an unexpected contrast between our beliefs and our behaviours.“There are an estimated 5.5 million Canadians living with a vision-threatening eye disease and many more at risk,” said CNIB President and CEO John M. Rafferty. “This report shows they may not be doing all they can to save their sight.”The report shows Canadians value the importance of vision health maintenance:- 92 per cent of respondents believe that eye exams are an important part of their overall health maintenance.- Preventing vision loss places third in terms of priorities for maintaining overall health, behind only heart health and weight management.- 82 per cent of Canadians said they teach their children about the importance of regular eye exams.However, despite their commitment to vision health, there is a gap between their beliefs and their knowledge and behaviours.- Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Canadians say they have not had their eyes examined in the last two years.- Only 47 per cent of Canadians are aware of whether or not their family has a history of eye disease, meaning more than half aren’t aware of potential hereditary risks for conditions like glaucoma.- 40 per cent of respondents had no awareness of the most common eye disease causing vision loss — age-related macular degeneration.- 15 per cent of Canadians cannot remember when their child’s last eye exam occurred.The survey also addresses the social stigma involving people with vision loss. While one in three Canadians indicate that they know someone who is blind or partially sighted, 69 per cent agreed there is a general stigma associated with people with vision loss. In addition, Canadians felt that if they lost their sight, they would lose their independence (87 per cent) and self-confidence (83 per cent), which points to the need to increase knowledge, not just about vision health but about resources available to Canadians who lose their vision, including post-vision loss rehabilitation therapy.