Humanising health care: Assessing the impact of an educational resource to share real patient stories with eye care students

Abstract

Depression is prevalent in people with low vision and is often not acknowledged or treated. Eye care practitioners are well placed to identify suspected depression and refer patients for support. But first, they need to view this as an appropriate aspect of their role and receive relevant training. Patients can play an important role in their education. In this project we invited four individuals with vision impairment to share their personal stories with eye care students in short film clips. These were provided to educators alongside written materials and filmed role plays of screening and referring for depression to use in their teaching. The impact of the resources on students was evaluated using pre- and post-use surveys. Educators and patients also provided feedback. Students experienced an increase in understanding, knowledge and confidence around addressing depression. They reported an increased appreciation of the patient perspective and would be more likely to communicate about mental health in future. Educators felt more confident in teaching students about depression and patients felt more able to talk to others about the psychological impact of vision loss. Sharing real patient stories via film clips proved a useful way of educating eye care students about depression.