The Eyes and Vision Specialist Library, National Library for Health

From Parul Desai MSc PhD FRCS FRCOphth FFPH.  Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.

The Eyes and Vision Specialist Library (EVSL) is one of 28 Specialist Libraries across healthcare, commissioned by the National Library for Health (NLH).

It was launched in 2005 and its purpose is to systematically identify, organise and present the best available evidence to support and inform clinical care in the NHS.  It provides access to a free updated online collection of resources that would be of interest to any specialist or generalist health professional involved in eye care.  Patients and their carers have free access also.  Some examples of the content of EVSL include: Health Technology Assessment reports, NICE guidelines, National Service Frameworks, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination abstracts, the Cochrane Library; professional body publications; and key research findings (as presented in peer-reviewed articles) that have shaped current clinical thinking and current practice.  

A key development feature of the Specialist Libraries is National Knowledge Weeks (NKWs). 50 NKWs are held each year by the Specialist Libraries. These cover a wide range of topics representing high volume, resource intensive conditions which have a significant impact on public health. Their purpose is to keep busy clinicians informed and up to date on topical or emerging areas relevant to clinical practice, by providing a readily accessible source of the relevant literature and guidance on a particular subject area.  The NKWs are reviewed, updated and promoted annually.

The National Knowledge Week for Age Related Macular Degeneration – 18-25th June 2007. 

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the commonest causes of certifiable visual impairment in the UK.   There have been significant developments recently in our understanding of its underlying cause; in the options for therapeutic and surgical intervention; and in detection and diagnosis through emerging technology for retinal imaging; all of which have transformed the clinical management of a patient with AMD.  

The AMD National Knowledge Week serves to provide a collection of the evidence and information on these recent developments in the clinical management of AMD.  This is presented through a number of topic summaries reflecting aspects of the care pathway, including the patients’ perspective.  Each summary is presented with on-line links wherever possible to cited references for current evidence and new knowledge (systematic reviews, primary research, and patient information).  Printable versions of topic summaries are available, and of all the Specialist Libraries, EVSL uniquely provides a low vision accessible web version of its NKWs.

Topics covered by the AMD NKW include :
Epidemiology
Genetics
Emerging technology – retinal imaging for diagnosis :  
   Ocular coherence tomography
   Auto-fluorescence:
Developments in treatment :
   Therapeutic intervention  : anti VEGF therapy  
   Surgical intervention :  retinal translocation  
Low vision aids and rehabilitation  
Living with AMD  

Additional Links:

The National Knowledge Week for Glaucoma was in November 2006

Update from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists: Focus Spring 06

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