Assessing Eye Clinic Design and Accessibility Features

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

6-1-2023

Publication Title

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Abstract

Purpose : Navigating healthcare facilities can be difficult for vulnerable populations such as the visually impaired and elderly who are at high risk for functional disability, falls, and injury. Currently, the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require buildings to increase accessibility by persons who are blind or visually impaired. To address this limitation, a team of vision rehabilitation specialists and occupational therapists at the Henry Ford Health Systems created a survey to assess the design features of medical centers. The purpose of our study is to validate the survey and use the survey to assess the eye clinics of a major academic institution. Methods : The SiteWise checklist was used to assess the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Two graders were trained in the survey methods and performed their assessments independently. Eighty-three items from 8 spaces were evaluated. Two-way agreements between graders were analyzed at the item and location level. Items were graded as positive, negative, or not applicable and the total grades were averaged. Results : Of the total 83 items in the SiteWise Questionnaire, the Johns Hopkins Hospital Reviewer 1 assessed 56 positives (67.5%), 14 negatives (16.9%), and 13 items were deemed as Not applicable? (15.7%). Reviewer 2 similarly assessed 57 positives (68.7%), 13 negatives (15.7%), and 13 items were deemed as Not applicable? (15.7%). Percent concordance between both reviewers was 98.8% and one instance of disagreement was observed in the parking lot/sidewalks setting. Excluding not applicable cases there were 70 total items. The hallways (100.0%), waiting area (100.0%), and customer service area (88.2%) accounted for the areas with the highest percentage of positive responses, while restrooms (55.6%), entrances/exits (66.7%), and exam rooms (72.7%) were associated with the lowest percentage of positive responses. Between the two reviewers, the Johns Hopkins Hospital scored an average of 80.7% on the SiteWise questionnaire. Conclusions : Our results indicate that the SiteWise survey can be used reliably to assess eye clinic design and accessibility. Overall, hallways, waiting areas, and customer service areas were the most accessible while restrooms, entrances, and exam rooms were the least accessible, making them important areas for improvement.

Volume

64

Issue

8

First Page

862

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