ABSTRACT:
Eye care for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing: A systematic review

BACKGROUND:
Research has shown that there is a higher prevalence of ocular pathology in deaf and hard-of-hearing patients than their hearing counterparts; this is because of the close anatomical relationship of the retina and the cochlear which develop from the same embryonic layer. Eye care practitioners would often-times rely on the writing skills of the deaf and hard-of hearing patient during the consultation process. There are patients with limited or no writing skills, which makes patient care even more difficult. Purpose: The study aimed to explore the different studies and related documentary evidence on eye care for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

METHODS:
The systematic review methodology was used in the investigation. The electronic data bases were searched systematically for studies on eye care for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The PRISMA framework was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS:
The descriptive analysis yielded the records distribution over the years, country-wise distribution, citations, databases, and subject areas. A further literature classification was done to identify the methodology (qualitative vs quantitative), treatment differentiation, relationships analysis, construct conceptualization and the type of theory used.

CONCLUSIONS:
The study mapped existing literature and knowledge, highlighting limitations, and identifying gaps in the available knowledge.