Pilot operational research study into the durability, usability and wearability of eyeglasses in Sierra Leone

The pilot study will answer the following research questions:

• Do patients who received eyeglasses via our project still use them 36-60 months after distribution?
• Do patients replace eyeglasses, and if so, which services do they use for replacement (and at what cost)?
• What are patients’ experiences with the wearability and durability of eyeglasses?
• How feasible is it to follow up with patients who received eyeglasses 36-60 months prior?

A 2021 Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey estimated that unaddressed refractive error was the leading cause of early visual impairment and the second leading cause of moderate visual impairment among over 50s in Sierra Leone. Of ~2,500 people surveyed, only 35 (1.4%) had access to distance vision eyeglasses, with 190 (7.6%) having near vision eyeglasses.

In the past 10 years, the Sierra Leonean government and its partners have made significant investments into refractive and optical services. Further sustainability of these refractive and optical services requires a good understanding of patient eye health-seeking behaviour and the parameters shaping the demand for services. It is particularly important to understand how long patients wear eyeglasses, as well as what they do to replace them when they break or their prescription changes. ​

This pilot study in one location in Freetown will provide evidence about the sustainability of near vision eye glasses distribution, and information about the feasibility of carrying out this study on a wider scale across Sierra Leone.