Dear Readers,
Welcome to the first Issue of Site News! Counting the days to our launch, this edition of SiteNews includes an exciting overview of our site with a brief note on the concept of developing this site and the Resource Bank that not only shows you what kind of eye care management tools are available but also guide you step by step through the search process.
Also featured in this edition an introduction to SiteNews with details for subscription and finally: A brief piece about Vision 2020 E-Resource membership. Find out how to become a member and read about all the benefits attached!
The word vision is interesting. It not only refers to our ability to see things the way they are- but also to a gift that enables us to see them the way they could be.
Shared vision is a powerful tool for change. As we each continue in our own ways to fight blindness, lets take a moment to remember that we are all connected by a common goal.
We hope you will stay with us for the launch and beyond...
Looking forward to bringing you more information, innovation and inspiration each month!
In service for sight,
Vision 2020 E-Resource Centre
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 Aravind has become a model of self-less compassion. Their magnanimous approach to sharing intellectual and other resources helps other organizations reach more people in need. This help builds the capacity of other organizations to increase sustainabilty, quality and volume of services...Through thousands of simple, caring gestures of support Aravind has strengthened eye care programs around the world. The result is a quality of care that not only restores sight but that also restores the spirit of all involved.
- Lawrence Brent Brilliant, MD, MPH
Acting Executive Director & Founding Board Member,
Seva Foundation
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Vision 2020 E-Resource Centre is a comprehensive collection of electronic resources in management of eye care. It aims at sharing resources relevant to eye care delivery for the development and implementation of efficient and sustainable eye care programmes targeting particularly those in the developing countries. To this end over 100 simple, informative resources with depth, breadth and validity and expected to grow over time is getting developed. This website will be particularly beneficial for all those interested in eye care management as a reference tool.
The concept for developing this website arose when faced with the challenge of the growing blindness problem and how to fast track implementation of Vision 2020. Today about 50 million people are blind and a further 135 million suffer from low vision. The real tragedy is that 80% of this blindness could be prevented or cured. Community based eye health is the key to successful prevention and treatment of eye disease in developing countries. It involves the delivery of appropriate, cost- effective eye care by trained people. It emphasizes community participation and the role of all health workers in preventing blindness. Education in community eye health equips health workers to know how to assess, plan and implement services for the community so that existing resources are used effectively. Different models of eye care service delivery exist which have been tested and in use in variety of settings.
Vision 2020 - The Right To Sight, the global initiative is designed to intensify and accelerate the present prevention of blindness activities so as to achieve the goal of eliminating the avoidable blindness by the year 2020. To achieve this mission Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology of Aravind Eye Care System is developing "Vision 2020 E-Resource" funded by the International Eye Foundation. Many eye care organizations have the potential and the interest to address this problem but are faced with lack of management know how. It is particularly this lacunae "Vision 2020 E-Resource" wishes to address by sharing eye care management resources so as to help other eye care programmes implement and achieve the targets set by Vision 2020.
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Any comprehensive resource center for eye care management must include resources that relate to all the different aspects of development, implementation and assessment. But organizing the vast quantity of relevant information in a way that enables quick-and-easy access for users can be quite a challenge!
To make things easier Vision 2020 E-Resource Centre plans to use three broad headings in order to classify its online resources. These headings are:
To make things easier
Vision 2020 e-resource plans to use three broad headings in order to classify its
online resources. These headings are:
| KEY AREAS | - | Which lists the major areas of focus in eye care management |
| PROCESSES | - | Which lists key management systems and practices |
| MATERIAL TYPE | - | Which lists the different types/formats of material available |
How
to Start Your Search:
Users are expected to checkmark the boxes that are relevant to their search in each column and then click on the Enter icon to submit their request. The Select All icon will automatically place checkmarks in all the boxes under that particular column The Clear All icon will automatically undo all checkmarks in boxes under that column
Note: Under each main heading there are different topics listed. Some of these topics are color highlighted to indicate that there are further subdivisions under it. These sub-divisions enable a highly refined search.
The following gives the entire list of topics and sub-divisions listed under each heading:
MATERIAL TYPE
| Articles |
| Hand-Outs (include
booklets, leaflets and brochures) |
| Books |
| Compact Discs
(CDs) |
| Forms (developed and
tested sample forms for Out Patient registration, In Patient Records,
Prescriptions, Identity Cards etc) |
| Posters |
| Protocols |
| Questionnaires |
| Slides (PowerPoint slides
or manual covering clinical as well as non-clinical topics) |
| Software |
| Tools
(Downloadable excel spreadsheets developed to automatically derive certain estimates or projections such as magnitude of cataract blindness or budget for a start-up hospital by entering a set of relevant variables) |
| Training kits (These
include Application forms, Evaluation forms, teaching materials, and
curriculum for specific training courses) |
| Videos |
Sample Search:
You can take a look at it at http://www.v2020eresource.org, where it is temporarily hosted. You have to register for login by clicking the New User link. After registration you will be automatically taken to the "Resource Bank". In the next page to see the details you can for example
- Under "Key Areas" select "Disease Strategies (click on the "+" button)" and within it Cataract
- Under process you can select "Planning" and "Service Delivery" and then click on "Submit". This process is to narrow down the selection of resources by key areas and processes.
- You would then see a listing of material currently made available. The resources under this combination are listed in five pages and you will notice that some are under development. You can also see the actual item by clicking on the "See Product" icon.
- Some of the "products" will come with a detailed user manual and in some cases a tutorial using voice and slides. You can see an example of this in the item titled "Investment Analysis for Phaco and YAG Laser". Under the "Guidelines" section click on the link, which says, "Slide". To listen to the audio, a broader bandwidth helps.
We are eager to hear any feedback or suggestions about its user-friendliness.
Our aim is to make this site as useful and as easy-to-use as possible for
you. And with your help we can make it happen!
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Vision 2020 
Eye Hospitals 
Renovating an existing Eye Hospital 