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Abstract

Purpose
To investigate Service Providers’ (SPs) experiences of, and views on, the impact of the COVID7 19 pandemic on provision of low vision (LV) assessments, and future provision post-pandemic.

Methods
A mixed methods approach employed two surveys (S1 and S2) and one-to-one semi-structured phone interviews. SPs were invited for S1 (LV assessments before and during pandemic) between June and August 2021, and S2 (post-pandemic services) in July 2022. Eleven purposively recruited SPs gave telephone interviews, assessing changes to LV assessments during the pandemic and how experiences could inform future services. Survey responses were tested for significant differences between proportions, and interviews analysed using thematic analysis.

Results
Eighty SPs, comprising clinical and non-clinical professionals, responded to S1, 27 to S2. Two themes emerged from interviews and surveys: early pandemic modifications and remote services. From S1, during the pandemic there was a significant increase (p<0.001) in the proportion of SPs providing LV assessments remotely (either alongside face-to-face provision, or remotely only), compared to pre-pandemic. S1, conducted while some COVID restrictions remained, also identified an increase in the proportion of LV assessments expected to be provided remotely post-pandemic compared to pre-pandemic (p<0.001). However, for S2, conducted after all restrictions were lifted, the increase in the proportion of LV assessments actually provided remotely post-pandemic was not statistically significant (p=0.20). Advantages (e.g. reduced risk of infection) and limitations (e.g. issues for hearing-impaired users) of remote LV assessments were highlighted

Conclusions
Remote LV assessments increased significantly during the pandemic and remained more common post- than pre-pandemic, though less common than anticipated. Many advantages were perceived, but guidance may need to be developed before remote services are more widely adopted.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2024, the authors. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Publisher Keywords:	COVID-19, low vision assessments, remote services, service providers, tele-consultation, vision impairment
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR180 Immunology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RE Ophthalmology
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Optometry & Visual Sciences
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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