Drug labels cause problems for sight impaired
impaired or partial sight get information from drug labels,
according to a new study which found a font change could alleviate
the issue.
In general, the information and instructions provided with medicines is far too small for people with impaired or partially-sighted vision to read, says the study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
And while most information on medicines and treatment is communicated in writing, little thought has been given as to whether patients can actually read it, it adds.
The researchers assessed the point at which 180 patients stopped being able to read, without magnification, the manufacturer's printed instructions on the side of a bottle of eye-drops. All the patients, whose average age was 70, had impaired eyesight in one or both eyes to varying degrees. This included a range of conditions, including glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataract.
The patients were allowed to bring the bottle as close to their face as possible in order to read it and, if they were able to do so, the time it took them was recorded. If they took more than 30 seconds, the result was was classified as 'reading with great difficulty'.
They were then asked to select the type and type sizes they found easiest to read. Patients with moderately good sight, designated as 6/18 visual acuity, were able to read the instructions, but some two-thirds of those with poorer sight in the range 6/24 and 6/36 were unable to read them.
Almost all of those with 6/60 visual acuity could not read them.
Unsurprisingly, the more difficulty patients had in deciphering the instructions, the larger type size they preferred, but the authors say that an enlarged font of Arial 22, which is about three times the size normally used, would meet everyone's needs.
This overlooked aspect of care is important because patients need to be able to take the right and safe dose of medicine, accoridng to the authors.
"It is common for patients to leave a consultation without remembering what was discussed, including how to take their medication," they note, adding that the problems can be compounded for those who are hard of hearing or whose memory is impaired.
According to the World Health Organisation, levels of visual impairment range from one in 1,000 to one in 10, depending on the age group, which suggests that the problem may be more widespread than many in the pharmaceutical industry realise.
The paper can be downloaded in full from the BJO website.
