Time to inquire workspace of the eye examination room in optical outlets in Malaysia for post-Covid-19 new norms

Time to inquire workspace of the eye examination room in optical outlets in Malaysia for post-Covid-19 new norms. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 17 (SUPP3). pp. 253-260. ISSN 2636-9346 (2021)



Abstract

Introduction: Careful consideration of what is necessary for the workspace is inevitable to curb the spreading of COVID-19. Work from home is a logistic challenge for the health, retail, and manufacturing sectors. Hence, a workspace probe is imperative to obtain elementary evidence to fine-tune implementation strategy in pandemic crisis management. Sparse information concerning the workspace of the eye examination rooms inducted this investigation to gather the footing data towards impending preparation of post-COVID-19 new norms for optical outlets in Malaysia.

Methods: Nine optical outlets with a combination of commercial chains, individual practices, suburban and urban areas were selected to represent assorted types of retail settings. The on-site workspaces’ data were measured and recorded in a logbook with a laser meter and measurement tape. Self-assessments of workspaces were gathered through structured interviews.

Results: The on-site data revealed that all-optical outlets did not comply with the minimum requirement for an optimal eye examination in terms of space area and illuminance. None of the eye examination rooms had a built-in air filtering system and handwash infrastructure. Paradoxically, the functionality of the workspace was self-graded as ‘above average’.

Conclusion: Variation in the eye examination room designs and deviance from the standard requirement may just be a noticeable part of a larger problem about the service quality of optical outlets. Lack of basic hygiene facilities requires action for preventive measures. The incongruity between the self-assessment and the on-site data might indicate a conjectural challenge to efficiently self-implement the postCOVID-19 workspace new norm in optical outlets.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Workspace, Optical outlets, Vision, Eye care services, COVID-19
Taxonomy: By Subject > Medicine > Ophthalmology
Local Content Hub: Subjects > Medicine
Depositing User: Adi Azri Mohamad (Sg. Buloh)
Date Deposited: 08 Oct 2021 23:56
Last Modified: 14 Oct 2021 05:32
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