INVISIBLE: Comprehensive care for the blind patient

Name of the activity: INVISIBLE: Comprehensive care for the blind patient

Country/NMO: Ecuador (AEMPPI-Ecuador)

Program: Ethics & Human Rights in Health

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Campaign. Combination of education and advocacy. Campaigns create awareness in society about a certain topic (education aspect) and try to funnel this awareness into pressure on the decision makers to adapt policies accordingly (advocacy aspect).

General description:

“INVISIBLE: Comprehensive care for the blind patient” is a three-part activity (symposium, social experiment and media campaign) that seeks to capacitate 200 medical students from all over the country about the comprehensive care of the blind patient, as well as the legal rights they possess and clinical-therapeutic data. During the first part will be taught topics as the anatomy and physiology of sight, pathophysiology of blindness, current treatments and comprehensive care for this condition, and rights of blind people. During the second part, a group of students will spend some time totally blindfolded, and they will have to perform several activities in a public space. Finally, videos of social experiments will be collected and published on social networks.

Focus area:

Medical Ethics (Patient Centered Care, Good Medical Practice, direct doctor-patient relationship)

Problem statement:

Globally, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of distance or near vision impairment. Population growth and ageing will increase the risk that more people acquire vision impairment. Our motivation to carry out the project is to create awareness in our society about blindness and visual disability, and give them a message of equal opportunities, because currently blind people have disadvantages compared to other populations.

Target groups:

Medical students

Beneficiaries:

People with disabilities

Objectives and indicators of success:

Capacitate 200 health students around the country about the comprehensive care of the blind patient, as well as the legal rights they possess and clinical-therapeutic data, through a symposium, a media campaign and social experiment.

Sensitize students and society about the importance of creating invlusive spaces and opportunities for the blind patient.

Educate medical students about the comprehensive care of the blind patient and the theoretical-medical aspects involved in blindness.

Methodology:

1. Symposium on blindness, with topics such as the anatomy and physiology of sight, pathophysiology of blindness, current treatments and comprehensive care for this condition, and rights of blind people.

2. Social experiment, where a group of students will spend some time totally blindfolded, and they will have to perform several activities in a public space such as buying food, asking for information, taking an elevator, crossing the street, getting on a bus.

3. Media campaign, where videos of social experiments will be collected and published on social networks.

Plans for evaluation:

After the project we will ask them for feedback, with some questions such as:

• How is blindness defined?

• What are the most important causes of blindness?

• How is the management of the blind patient?

• Does the country have inclusion strategies for blind people?

In addition, questions to evaluate the organization and execution of the project.