Vision Loss (Australia)
About the Priority Setting Partnership
The Vision Loss PSP launched in May 2023 and worked with people in Australia living with an Inherited Retinal Disease, guardians and family members of those living with an Inherited Retinal Disease, and health professionals involved in caring for individuals living with an Inherited Retinal Disease.
The project aimed to identify the priorities for researchers who are working to better diagnose, treat and manage Inherited Retinal Diseases.
The PSP is being run by the Behavioural Sciences Unit, affiliated with the University of New South Wales, Sydney.
The Vision Loss (Australia) PSP Top 10 was published in September 2024.
Top 10 priorities
The most important questions
- What treatments can safely prevent, slow down or stop vision loss that occurs for someone with an inherited retinal disease?
- What is the psychological impact of having an inherited retinal disease, and what support is most effective?
- What treatments can safely restore vision for someone with an inherited retinal disease?
- What are the information and psychosocial needs of individuals with an inherited retinal disease, and their families at diagnosis?
- What training and/or guidelines are needed for health professionals to provide optimal support for individuals with an inherited retinal disease, from diagnosis and beyond?
- What are the most effective ways to support carers and family members of an individual with an inherited retinal disease?
- How do environmental and lifestyle factors influence symptoms of inherited retinal diseases and disease progression?
- What are the most effective ways to manage inherited retinal disease symptoms (e.g., low vision at night)?
- How can a program to detect inherited retinal diseases as early in life as possible be implemented?
- What is the anticipated progression of vision loss for each inherited retinal disease?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- How can equitable access to genetic testing for inherited retinal diseases and genetic counselling be implemented across Australia?
- How can coordinated support for inherited retinal diseases, from relevant organisations and services (e.g., health services, NDIS), be successfully implemented?
- What is the best way to facilitate peer-support networks for individuals with an for inherited retinal disease?
- What is an effective treatment for inherited retinal disease that is not gene-specific?
- What are the optimal ways to measure an individual's level of vision impairment, specifically for inherited retinal diseases?
- How can artificial intelligence be used to enhance and expedite research into inherited retinal diseases?
Who is involved
The PSP had a Steering Group, which is the group of people who managed the Vision Loss (Australia) Priority Setting Partnership.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the PSP team at visionlossPSP@unsw.edu.au or the PSP lead, Dr Eden Robertson at eden.robertson@unsw.edu.au
Key documents
These documents set out the aims, objectives and commitments of the PSP.
Vision Loss (Australia) PSP protocol
Vision Loss (Australia) PSP terms of reference
Vision Loss (Australia) PSP final report