The challenge of eye disease: the patient's perspective

An educational symposium was organized to allow patients to be instructors by encouraging them to discuss their conditions, how they perceived their eye problems and the care they received, and the effect of their experience on their lives. Patients repeatedly stressed the need they felt for more time to discuss their disorders and more communication at all levels. An increasing use of patient information material, using printed materials and video, may partially alleviate the problem of a lack of communication.