The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers
Background: Visual impairment may be caused by various diseases and can impact the safe use of medications. It is therefore important that healthcare professionals consider these challenges to facilitate the correct administration of medications by visually impaired patients. Objective: To determine...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000228 |
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| author | Théodora Merenda Fanny Depasse Stéphanie Patris |
| author_facet | Théodora Merenda Fanny Depasse Stéphanie Patris |
| author_sort | Théodora Merenda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Visual impairment may be caused by various diseases and can impact the safe use of medications. It is therefore important that healthcare professionals consider these challenges to facilitate the correct administration of medications by visually impaired patients. Objective: To determine the category of visual impairment beyond which it becomes impossible to identify medication boxes, to read patient information leaflets, expiration dates, and dosage instructions. Methods: Visual impairment was simulated with glasses on healthy volunteers who had to identify and read different elements on medication boxes and leaflets. The participant eligibility was confirmed through the administration of five ophthalmological tests designed to quantify functional vision. Data were analyzed using a within-subject repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Ninety-two simulations were conducted. This study indicates that for a simulated moderate visual impairment, 81 % of participants lacked access to the medication names and doses, 75 % lacked access to the full expiration date, and 60 % were unable to read the leaflets. Additionally, a simulated moderate visual impairment resulted in a reduced reading speed of 44 words per minute. The low contrast of the writing on medication boxes makes identification more difficult. Conclusions: This simulation study demonstrated that it became impossible to identify medication boxes from a severe visual impairment onwards, while it was no longer possible to read leaflets and expiry dates from a moderate visual impairment onwards. Consequently, it is necessary to ensure that the patient has strategies to identify medications, particularly if the packaging exhibits low contrast and small print. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a7098c03651a40e38ab7e17d16a46d03 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-2766 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| spelling | doaj-art-a7098c03651a40e38ab7e17d16a46d032025-08-20T03:49:41ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662025-06-011810058110.1016/j.rcsop.2025.100581The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteersThéodora Merenda0Fanny Depasse1Stéphanie Patris2Unit of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium; Corresponding author at: University of Mons, Avenue du Champ de Mars, 7000 Mons, Belgium.Unit of Ophthalmology and Low Vision, Functional rehabilitation Centre, Association Les Amis des Aveugles (ADA), Ghlin, BelgiumUnit of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, BelgiumBackground: Visual impairment may be caused by various diseases and can impact the safe use of medications. It is therefore important that healthcare professionals consider these challenges to facilitate the correct administration of medications by visually impaired patients. Objective: To determine the category of visual impairment beyond which it becomes impossible to identify medication boxes, to read patient information leaflets, expiration dates, and dosage instructions. Methods: Visual impairment was simulated with glasses on healthy volunteers who had to identify and read different elements on medication boxes and leaflets. The participant eligibility was confirmed through the administration of five ophthalmological tests designed to quantify functional vision. Data were analyzed using a within-subject repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Ninety-two simulations were conducted. This study indicates that for a simulated moderate visual impairment, 81 % of participants lacked access to the medication names and doses, 75 % lacked access to the full expiration date, and 60 % were unable to read the leaflets. Additionally, a simulated moderate visual impairment resulted in a reduced reading speed of 44 words per minute. The low contrast of the writing on medication boxes makes identification more difficult. Conclusions: This simulation study demonstrated that it became impossible to identify medication boxes from a severe visual impairment onwards, while it was no longer possible to read leaflets and expiry dates from a moderate visual impairment onwards. Consequently, it is necessary to ensure that the patient has strategies to identify medications, particularly if the packaging exhibits low contrast and small print.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000228Visual impairmentHealth careMedication safetySimulationSimulated visual impairment |
| spellingShingle | Théodora Merenda Fanny Depasse Stéphanie Patris The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Visual impairment Health care Medication safety Simulation Simulated visual impairment |
| title | The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers |
| title_full | The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers |
| title_fullStr | The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers |
| title_short | The impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process: A study with healthy volunteers |
| title_sort | impact of simulated visual impairment on medication use process a study with healthy volunteers |
| topic | Visual impairment Health care Medication safety Simulation Simulated visual impairment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000228 |
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