You may be keen to hear results on whether your /your child’s eyes have changed from visit to visit. It sounds a bit funny, but actually it is quite hard for most of the research team at Moorfields to tell you this. It is important to understand that the research team doing the tests and assessments are often not the team analysing the results, so it is difficult for them to know if there has been any individual benefits from treatments. Also they each only see one small part of the information about your/ your child’s eyes.
Often, the doctor is the best person to give you an update, as they have more of an overview (about individuals and the wider research).
If the research team have any concerns about you / your child when they are doing tests, they would tell the doctor. The doctor would have a discussion with you about these concerns, and decide with you next steps.
Please be aware that you / your child might not be scheduled to see a doctor at every visit. In this case, if you have questions, a member of the team can organise a discussion with the doctor, but it might not be on the same day as your visit. Many of our doctors are working elsewhere in the hospital, as well as in research, so there can be a delay in response. We will do our best to communicate with you as efficiently as possible. Your study coordinator is a key person to help coordinate your questions and facilitate answers from those who are clinically trained and have the necessary information.
Some of the research team members, for some studies, are not allowed to be told what research treatment you / your child is on (we call this being ‘masked’). This is so they are not influenced when they are doing the tests, by knowing which research treatment you / your child is on.
The team who are ‘masked’ won’t be able to look at all your medical notes as they might see what treatment you are on. Because of this, they won’t be able to tell you if anything has changed since your last visit.
If you know which research treatment you are on – be careful who you tell – you don’t want to accidentally tell a ‘masked’ team member about your treatment. You can ask staff if they are ‘masked’ if they haven’t told you already.
Glasses
Sometimes we can tell you if your glasses are still right for your eyes. But other times, even though we do lots of tests, we may not do the test which tells us, which glasses are right for you.
Importantly, at your / your child’s research visits, a glasses prescription will not be issued. The research tests may seem similar, but are different from the sight tests required to prescribe glasses.
It is important you / your child keep going to have their normal eye tests, near home (local optometrist) or in your hospital eye clinic, where they will do the tests to check your glasses.
