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Vartalap: A novel counseling-based approach for quality eye care
*Corresponding author: Tanveer Ahmed, Department of Ophthalmology, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Silchar, India. drtanveer498@gmail.com
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Received: ,
Accepted: ,
How to cite this article: Debsikdar RD, Ahmed T, Bandyopadhyay I, Barik E. Vartalap: A novel counseling-based approach for quality eye care. East Eye. 2025;1:27–30. doi: 10.25259/TEE_6_2025
Abstract
Objectives: The study aims to promote quality of life by changing the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the patient. The objective of this is to ascertain sociodemographic data of the and to understand the prevalent practices adopted by the study population for health preservation and promotion. The study also helps provide counseling on improving the quality of eye care through day-to-day activities.
Material and Methods: This prospective, observational, questionnaire-based study included all patients attending the Ophthalmology OPD (outpatient department) in a tertiary care hospital in southern Assam between February 1, 2024, and July 31, 2024. It encompassed all patients and attendants above 12 years of age in the waiting area of the refraction room. Subjects who were very sick or non-consenting (in the case of minors, their guardians) were excluded. A pre-tested questionnaire focusing on sociodemographic, symptoms, diet, screen exposure, addictions, physical activity and overall happiness was given to the subjects; their responses were assessed, and they were followed up monthly for 3 months while offering personalized counseling tailored according to the responses filled in, in a Socratic manner, and non-pharmacological health-promoting measures were offered in addition to the treatment prescribed and followed up monthly for 3 months.
Results: A total of 719 subjects meeting the above criteria were selected, and baseline data were collected. Out of this population, 660 opted for the counseling. The outcome showed significant improvement in their symptoms as well as happiness score on the Likert scale as compared to the control group.
Conclusion: Vartalap demonstrated that counseling-based lifestyle modification significantly improves ocular comfort and quality of life, promoting holistic, patient-centered care beyond pharmacological treatment in ophthalmology practice.
Keywords
Community ophthalmology
Counseling
Lifestyle modification
Non-pharmacological approach
Vartalap
INTRODUCTION
The role of the modern-day ophthalmologist is to guide the patient holistically towards overall good health, both physically and mentally. However, in the fast-paced life, this seems to be a herculean task, as both patients and doctors are overwhelmed by the huge crowd and time constraint, and as a result, a lot of patients get just the pharmacological treatment of their symptoms and diseases alone.
Vartalap, thus, is an initiative to provide counseling based, tailored non-pharmacological lifestyle modifications to promote patient health, utilizing the time spent waiting in line for refraction.
Aims and objectives
Aim
To promote the quality of life by changing the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the patient.
Objectives
To ascertain sociodemographic data of the study population.
To understand the prevalent practices adopted by the study population for health preservation and promotion.
To provide counseling regarding the betterment of quality eye care via day-to-day activities.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
All patients and attendants above 12 years of age attending the ophthalmology outpatient department in the waiting area of the refraction room between January 1, 2024, and July 31, 2024, were chosen as the study population for this prospective, observational, descriptive, questionnaire-based, longitudinal study. Subjects who were very sick or non-consenting were excluded. A total of 719 subjects meeting the above criteria, selected through purposive sampling, were provided with a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire [Figure 1] for data collection, after obtaining informed consent from each subject.
- The questionnaire used for the study.
A pre-tested questionnaire with a few modifications of the SF-36 questionnaire for quality of life, focusing on sociodemographic, symptoms, diet, screen exposure, addictions, physical activity, and overall happiness.1 Personalized counseling tailored according to responses filled was offered in a Socratic manner, and non-pharmacological health-promoting measures were offered in addition to the treatment prescribed and followed up monthly for three months.
RESULTS
A total of 719 subjects fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited, and their data were analyzed and graphically presented.
Demographics
457 subjects were males, constituting 63.6% of the population.
The population was divided into 6 age groups, i.e.
12–18 years: 13.21%
18–30 years: 13.49%
30–40 years: 17.66%
40–50 years: 15.43%
50–60 years: 14.04%
Above 60 years: 25.86%
The data are graphically represented in Figure 2.
- Sociodemographic data of the study population.
Enrolment in Vartalap
Out of this population, 660, i.e., 91.79%, opted for counseling; the rest, 59, i.e., 8.21%, were treated as a control group. [Figure 3].
- Percentage of study population opting for Vartalap.
Profile of Ocular Manifestations
The study population, according to their chief complaints was sorted to find that only 119 (16.55%) were asymptomatic. Amongst the symptomatic population,
153 (21.28%) experienced a foreign body sensation, 559 (77.75%) had a headache, 375 (52.16%) suffered from fatigue, while 223 (31.02%) complained of watering [Figure 4].
- Clinical profile of ocular manifestations in study population.
Outcome
The outcomes of the prognosis of symptoms of the subjects were measured on a Likert scale (where 1 = very mild & 10 = very severe). The average quality of life was also measured on a Likert scale (where 1 = very unhappy & 10 = extremely happy). The data were tabulated in Table 1.
| Symptom | Condition at presentation (Likert Scale) | Condition at the end of 1st month (Likert Scale) | Condition at the end of 2nd month (Likert Scale) | Condition at the end of 3rd month (Likert Scale) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients opting for Vartalap | Control | Patients opting for Vartalap | Control | Patients opting for Vartalap | Control | Patients opting for Vartalap | Control | |
| Foreign body sensation | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 2.7 |
| Headache | 6.6 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| Fatigue | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| Watering | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Average quality of life (1-10) (Higher implying better QoL) | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 6.8 |
DISCUSSION
The study has brought the following points to light.
The reduction in the complaint of foreign body sensation was 40% in the group seeking the Vartalap program, which is the maximum improvement compared to 22.8% in the control group, while those of headache, fatigue, and watering were 34.8% (c.f. 28.7%), 25% (c.f. 18.75%) & 43.9% (c.f. 39%), respectively.
The quality of life also improved by 21.7% in the group opting in for the study, in contrast to 13.3% in the control group.
Maximum adherence to dietary suggestions was seen, which is 82.1%, followed by exercise at 56.2%, screen time reduction at 41.3%, and the least followed advice was regarding addiction cessation, at a percentage of 12.7%.
Thus, improvement of symptoms and quality of life increased in subjects using Vartalap.
No similar study from an ophthalmological standpoint is available yet. However, parallels have been drawn from publications in psychiatry.
According to a study by Corbisiero et al., it is seen that in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients, the combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy led to significantly greater improvements in core ADHD symptoms and functional outcomes compared to pharmacotherapy alone. Participants receiving CBT also showed better emotional regulation and coping strategies.2
According to a study by Kamenov K et al., it is seen in patients suffering from depression that both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are beneficial for patients with depression, while combining the two leads to the greatest improvements in overall functioning and quality of life. Treatment plans should consider these broader outcomes, not just symptom relief.3
CONCLUSION
The Vartalap initiative demonstrated that counseling-based, non-pharmacological lifestyle modification can significantly improve the quality of life and ocular comfort of patients attending the ophthalmology outpatient department. Participants who received personalized counseling showed marked reductions in common symptoms such as foreign body sensation, headache, fatigue, and watering, compared to the control group. Improvements in diet and exercise adherence were particularly notable, emphasizing the potential of behavioral guidance alongside standard ophthalmic care. This study highlights the importance of integrating counseling into routine eye care practice to address holistic well-being, foster patient engagement, and promote sustainable health outcomes beyond pharmacological treatment.
Ethical approval:
The research/study complies with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964.
Declaration of patient consent:
The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent.
Financial support and sponsorship:
Nil.
Conflicts of interest:
There are no conflicts of interest.
Use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for manuscript preparation:
The authors confirm that there was no use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for assisting in the writing or editing of the manuscript and no images were manipulated using AI.
REFERENCES
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