- Help patients keep their eyes on the ball—and safe from injury
- How to avert an eye care crisis
- Case study: Avoid blurring line between clinical practice and research in optometry
- As technology turns, sports vision optometrist pivots
- Vision-friendly holiday gifts for children
- What you say versus what they hear: Talking contact lenses
- Identify signs of abuse
- excercise may prevent eye diseases
- Tips for an eye-healthy Thanksgiving feast
- protecting patients eye summer
- Lutein zeaxanthin reaffirmed over beta-carotene in AREDS2
- Diabetes Alert Day
- Day of unplugging
- 2021 Telehealth Summit
- Performance evaluation
- wearing contacts safely during COVID-19
- Recharging the retina
- Vitamin A good for the eyes
- Children device use and Myopia
- Physical distancing masks and eye protection
- COVID-19 infection control refresher
- doctor google online symptom checkers
- COVID-19 digital eyestrain
- The many benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
- Spring Break Healthy Contact Lens Hygiene
- CPR Certification Heart Month
- healthy makeup habits
- checking blood pressure
- healthy eyes recipe-eye-friendly nutrients
- best holiday gifts for childrens vision development
- winter weather tips
- Great American Smokeout
- 5 things to ask your older patients about driving
- eating for your eyes
- Vision therapy reading scores
- secondhand smoke could harm childrens eyes
- AOA resources can help patients see with less daylight
- dark chocolate does not improve eyesight
- Pumpkin nutrition benefits
- Teenager loses vision after a steady diet of French fries
- Systolic versus diastolic readings blood pressure
- Increase fitting success with better communication
- Contact Lens Health Week
- Mixing systemic and ocular pediatric medications
- The wonderful healing properties of amniotic membranes
- Smoking and Eye Health
- Novel contact lens design tracks IOP for continuous 24-hour period
- Blue-light hype or much ado about nothing
- Help Patients summer swimming
- Toys and games nice and naughty for vision development
- 21st-century optometric care
- Flu views Should you get a flu shot
- Vision is key to aging gracefully new study says
- How optometry can prevent serious harm from falls
- Help patients see the light when driving at night
- Nascent AI technology mixed results
- Helping aging Americans see the future
- Hand Eye Coordination and Batting
- Some ophthalmic drugs inadvisable for breastfeeding patients
- clinician-patient relationship affects outcomes
- Does better coordination equal better performance
- Soccer team rescued from Thailand cave could face temporary vision struggles
- Mediterranean diet
- Summer Camp
- Pool of knowledge Educate public on swimming and eye safety
- Gene-editing technology worth keeping an eye on
- When cancer Rxs affect ocular Dxs
- The Pharmacology of Allergies
- Ocular Inserts
- Exercise good judgment regarding glaucoma
- Google Drops
- Reading Proficiency and Eye Exams
- AOA survey Vision a winner for Olympians top skill
- Video-game vision therapy
- Olympics pique interest in winter eye care for athletes
- prevent eye-related injuries from sports and recreation
- Interventions in adulthood can improve binocular disorders
- Amber-tinted lenses & Blue Light
- All eyes on dry eye
- Potential new antimicrobial ingredient for multipurpose disinfectant solutions
- AOA releases new evidence based guideline for pediatric eye care
- help stub out smoking
- Spring has sprung Help patients manage allergies
- Contact considerations choosing the right lens
- Kids prolonged smartphone use could trigger dry eye
- Doctors of optometry dedicate decades to lowvision care and research
- New study provides insight into paths of child vision development
- Super QB sees vision training perks
- New research designed to open eyes on space travel
- Vision training could mitigate soccer related concussions
- Doctors of optometry should play role in clearing children
- Need gift ideas for the kids
- PPOD program a success story for optometry
- Baby its cold and contagious outside
- Help patients adjust to dwindling sunlight
- No playing around iPads over patching
- As temperatures rise so does awareness of Zika virus
- Doctors of optometry can help patients stop smoking
- Study helps lay foundation
- Nutritional balancing act
- Genetic testing and nutritional supplements
- Corneal crosslinking offers adolescents options
- Night lights illuminating roadways and sidewalks
- Swindles cons and scams
- Pigment on the surface of lenses poses risks
- Researchers take a fresh look at eye drops
- 4 tips to help patients eat for healthy vision
- Uncorrected vision problems childhood literacy deficits linked
- 6 nutrition questions you should be asking patients
- 5 tips for multifocal contact lens success
- Head games Football TBI and AOAs brain injury manual
- Head down yoga poses increase eye pressure in glaucoma patients
- Battling blue light
- New research addresses sports related concussions in kids
- With climate change prevention matters more than ever
- How to educate patients about UV protection this winter
- Study shows risk of falling remains after cataract surgery
- Help prevent the spreading of infectious diseases
- When spectacles pose a risk of injury
- Talk to patients about smoking habits
- Emphasize handwashing and other healthy habits for contact lens wearers
- Use AOAs new evidence based guideline to improve exams every day
- Smart contacts green lighted for human tests
- AOA brain injury manual addendum now available
- 4 ways to help patients manage allergies
- How to recommend the right supplements to patients
- How to discuss nutrition with patients
- Sweet treatment honey a possible dry eye therapy
- Industry announcement moves smart lenses closer to reality
- Spotlight returns on football concussions
- The benefits of blinking
- Could your morning coffee be good for your eyes
- Exercise Link to Retinal Disease
- What does a measles outbreak mean for optometrists
- Examining eye structure may help detect early-stage Alzheimers disease
- 4 patient questions about Google Glass
- Stem cells and the future of eye treatment
- Foam parties may cause eye irritation
- Counsel patients about cosmetic products and procedures
- Parents can steer infants to sustain attention
- First skin to eye stem cell transplant shows promise researchers say
- Novel high powered prisms to expand vision fields of patients with hemianopia
- How to best treat pregnant and breastfeeding patients
- No symptoms no need for regular eye exam Think again
- Treating the zebra patient
- Look for signs of depression anxiety in patients with diabetes and diabetes related eye disease
- Broccoli can deliver therapeutic benefits, study says
- FDA approves intraocular lens
- Patients share their perspectives understanding doctor of optometry talks
- Doctors of optometry carry the torch for athletes
- depression anxiety in patients with declining visual outcomes
- Doctors of optometry help Olympic shooters hit the target
- Hygiene key to warding off painful contact lens mishaps
- Parents can prevent ocular injuries from household chemicals to young children
- Low vision study quality of life
- Blink and youll miss it
- Occupational therapy eases depression in patients with age related macular degeneration
- Diets and eye health
- Blue light nemesis Green veggies carotenoids
- Children and Contact Lenses
- kids vision
- autismeyes
- mucin balls more of a menace than thought
- Study underscores optometrys role in improving aging patients quality of life
- Wildfires and Ocular Health
- When driving becomes dangerous
- Blinded by video games
- Blue Light and Kids Sleep
- Kids and Devices
- Diabetes patients perspective
- Vapor Study
- Tea Study
- National Sunglasses Day
- How to examine patients with special needs
Optometry and social work
July 29, 2019
Reduced vision can result in social isolation and depression. One of the professions that can be a fruitful partner to optometry, especially throughout the vision rehabilitation process, is social work.
There is growing emphasis in health care on the importance of holistic, collaborative care for optimum, patient-centered outcomes. In order to practice as patient-centric and integrated health care providers, optometry must continue to increase relationships among all health care professions. One of the professions that can be a fruitful partner to optometry, especially throughout the vision rehabilitation process, is social work.
Social work practice is defined by the National Association of Social Workers as consisting of "... the professional application of social work values, principles and techniques to one or more of the following ends: helping people obtain tangible services; counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, families and groups; helping communities or groups provide or improve social and health services; and participating in legislative processes." Patients who would benefit from vision rehabilitation also may benefit from the expertise of a social worker. Although this is not an exhaustive list, social workers may assist patients with:
- Assistance with disability advocacy
- Resources for loss of a driver's license
- Resolving transportation needs for medical appointments
- Follow-through with medical advice
- Medication management and assistance programs
- Connection to diabetic resources
- Food assistance
- Mental health resources
- Self-care education
- School-based interventions
- Family interventions
- Situations involving abuse or neglect
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reduced vision among mature adults has been shown to result in social isolation and depression. Early in the vision rehabilitation process, doctors of optometry may consider adding appropriate screening questions to their history intake that may facilitate a discussion with the patient or their caregiver in the exam room. These additional questions and discussions can be useful in identifying potential behavioral or mental health concerns or the need for adjunctive services beyond eye care. In some instances, these barriers may prevent otherwise successful vision rehabilitation. Sample questions may include:
- In addition to the services you have received today, do you have any other life issues for which you might need some assistance?
- Are you feeling nervous, stressed, depressed or anxious?
- Do you have any difficulties that would prevent you from successfully completing your eye treatment plan?
- Social workers can assist patients in a variety of ways, particularly regarding providing access to resources, such as food, financial assistance and transportation. They also can be helpful in dealing with a wide variety of issues, such as anxiety and depression or family issues. Might you be interested in talking with a social worker?
Additionally, an in-office, PHQ-9 Patient Depression Questionnaire may be another practical way that doctors of optometry can assess severity of any depression and connect patients to a social worker. Doctors may consider employing a social worker or referring a patient to a private, community-based or organizational social worker.
Social work is just one example of another profession that can contribute to the improved well-being of our patients. Doctors of optometry are in a unique position to lead by example through the vision rehabilitation process.
Learn more about vision rehabilitation and how to manage individuals with low vision and/or brain injury.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article represents the opinion of the author and not the AOA. These are not clinical practice guidelines, nor has the evidence been peer reviewed.
There are additional aspects to this topic that may not be presented, or considered, based on the specifics of the case.