‘It was like being hit with a brick’: a qualitative study on the effect of clinicians’ delivery of a diagnosis of eye disease for patients in primary and secondary care

Summary

An exploratory qualitative interview study to explore paitents' experiences of getting a diganosis of eye disease, the psychological impact of this and how it could be improved. Four themes were identified: the convoluted
process of being diagnosed, the impact of clinicians’ words, the search for information and reflections on what could be improved Clinicians should consider how they communicate a diagnosis to patients, how and when they offer information about diagnosis and prognosis and where possible signpost patients to additional support systems and counselling services as early as possible.