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Introduction
The concept of visual perception has been the focus of researchers interested in understanding how individuals handle composite visual processing and pattern recognition tasks and activities. In nursing and healthcare specialties, the concept of visual perception has found wide usage in areas charged with the responsibility of helping patients to recognize shapes, discern color, judge sizes, and distances, as well as trace and extrapolate motion in three dimensions (Gordon, 2004; Yantis, 2001). However, despite this disclosure, little is known about the dynamics that make up the concept of visual perception and how patients with visual perception challenges present immense challenges in healthcare settings. To address this research gap, the present paper not only describes the dynamics of visual perception but also presents evidence of how the concept affects patients in healthcare settings.
Understanding Visual Perception
At a broader level, visual perception relates to the capability demonstrated by individuals to interpret the surrounding environment by using the eye-brain continuum to process and store information that is contained in visible light. At a much narrower level, visual perception can be defined as the ability to use ones eyes and the brain to see, organize, and make sense of the environment (Gordon, 2004). Although the visual perception is deeply rooted in psychology, it is used daily as people try to make sense of the images and objects that they encounter as they interact with the environment. Without visual perception, it would be difficult for people to learn new information, make sense of the words that they read, visually recognize common objects that they encounter as they interact with the environment, or even have the eye-hand coordination that is required to undertake many of their daily tasks and responsibilities (Okamoto, Hirotomi, Aoki, & Hosomi, 2013). Available scholarship demonstrates that visual perception takes place in two major ways, namely top-down processing (use of contextual information in pattern recognition) and bottom-up processing (follows one direction from the retina to the visual cortex) (McLeod, 2009).
Visual Perception Problems in Healthcare Settings
In most healthcare contexts, health professionals use the concept of visual perception to understand various issues and diseases affecting patients. It is important to note that patients with problems in their visual perceptual skills are not only unable to organize and interpret the information that is seen and give it meaning, but may also experience challenges in reading, spelling, handwriting, comprehension, or even following simple directions involving dosage administration (Okamoto et al., 2013; Yantis, 2001). It may be difficult for patients with impaired visual perception to complete their medications on time, follow the diet regimen prescribed by the professionals, perceive positional aspect differences, or notice detail differences such as the shape, size, and color of their medications. Such patients present particular risks, particularly in terms of experiencing hospital falls and other adverse events as they are unable to recognize the positioning of objects in space. Additionally, it may be difficult for such patients to follow simple written instructions due to challenges with their visual closure, which is the capacity to recognize or identify an object, letter, or number without having a glimpse of the entire object (Okamoto et al., 2013). Lastly, patients with visual perception impairments have problems with their visual memory; that is, they are unable to recall forms (letters) and successions of forms (words) and recognize them with speed when seen again.
Conclusion
This paper has described some of the dynamics of the visual perception concept before presenting evidence of how the concept affects patients in healthcare settings. Overall, it is evident that patients with visual perception impairments present particular treatment and management challenges that are difficult for health professionals to address.
References
Gordon, I.E. (2004). Theories of visual perception (3rd ed.). Hove, United Kingdom: Psychology Press.
McLeod, S. (2009). Visual perception theory. Web.
Okamoto, S., Hirotomi, T., Aoki, K., & Hosomi, Y. (2013). Evaluation of walking motions with the aid of walkers using acceleration sensors. In J. Wu (Ed.), Biomedical engineering and cognitive neuroscience for healthcare: Interdisciplinary applications (pp. 346-354). Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.
Yantis, S. (2001). Visual perception: Essential readings. Hove, United Kingdom: Psychology Press.
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