Page 26 - May 2024 SAM PDF

EYE CARE AND EYE CARE AND
QUALITY OF LIFE QUALITY OF LIFE

Enhancements in Extracurricular Medical English-to-Spanish Script ties increased significantly after using the script. The English-to-Spanish
For the third project, MESU student leaders sought to improve the
script represents an important step for the MESU as volunteers seek to
Spanish-speaking capacity of volunteers. In Bexar County, Texas, 41 connect with the San Antonio Spanish-speaking population.
Education at the Mobile Eye Screening Unit percent of households speak Spanish as their predominant language.4 These three projects are part of an ongoing effort to maximize the
Although a previous study revealed that up to 45 percent of MESU
screening participants preferred Spanish, student Spanish-speaking abili- Mobile Eye Screening Unit’s capabilities to improve eye health and
ty is lacking.5 Seventy-three percent of the volunteers rated their Spanish quality of life in the community. Data collection like the COVID-
By Sarah Traynor Poor, Harsh Madaik, Kannan Freyaldenhoven and Jared J. Tuttle, with Daniel A. Johnson, MD, MBA
speaking ability at either a 1 or 2 on a 1 - 5 Likert scale.6 To improve 19 study provides greater understanding of the community’s needs,
Spanish speaking ability amongst volunteers, an English-to-Spanish and procedure improvements like the training video and English-to-
ision is seen by many as an essential component of quality of the sites visited by the MESU, IOP fail rates increased significantly script was created and distributed to volunteers at each event. While Spanish script improves the quality of screenings the unit can provide.
life. In San Antonio, the prevalence of vision loss (3.08 per- compared to the start of the pandemic. Near and far VA fail rates also the script did not allow for the level of nuance and personalization that Alongside these efforts, the MESU trains volunteers who are interest-
Vcent) exceeds both the national average (2.17 percent) and increased significantly at two of the MESU sites. The public health Spanish fluency would, it helped volunteers guide screening recipients ed in ophthalmology, helping to cultivate a passion for the field and
1
the Texas state average (2.24 percent). This vision loss can often be crisis of COVID-19 may have exacerbated existing public health issues through testing more comfortably. Pre- and post-surveys were distrib- teach the next generation of eye care specialists with a public health
attributed to treatable eye diseases including cataracts, glaucoma and in San Antonio and made concerted community interventions even uted to volunteers to assess Spanish-speaking competence and evalu- focus. Through these efforts, the MESU aims to improve not only
diabetic retinopathy. In response to the burden of these eye diseases on more necessary. ate script efficacy. Both self-reported confidence in conducting an eye the current landscape of public eye care, but also the quality of life of
the local community, many local groups have directed their resources screening in Spanish and interest in improving Spanish-speaking abili- future patients in the South Texas community.
towards prevention and detection efforts. One such undertaking is the Training Video
Lions Mobile Eye Screening Unit (MESU). At the MESU, UT Health The second project aimed to improve volunteer preparedness
San Antonio (UTHSA) student volunteers and community members by creating a training video on how to conduct an eye screen. Most
offer eye screenings that include visual acuity, intraocular pressure and student volunteers (90 percent of those surveyed) had no prior
visual field tests to underserved areas of South Texas. As part of their experience operating ocular testing equipment.3 While student vol- References: Daniel A. Johnson, MD, MBA, is the Herbert F. Mueller Chair,
mission to improve eye health in the San Antonio area, student leaders unteers usually learned how to conduct a screening by the end of the 1. Lundeen, EA, Flaxman, AD, Wittenborn, JS, Burke-Conte, Z, Department of Ophthalmology at UT Health San Antonio. He
at the MESU have embarked on multiple projects to better understand event, the on-the-job training impacted efficiency and organization. Gulia, R, Saaddine, J & Rein, DB. (2022). County-Level Vari- specializes in the management of uveitis/ocular inflammatory
the population they serve and improve screening capacity. In response to these challenges, MESU student leaders created an ation in the Prevalence of Visual Acuity Loss or Blindness in disease and cornea and external diseases. Dr. Johnson is a
8-minute training video and distributed it to volunteers before the the US. JAMA ophthalmology, 140(8), 831–832. https://doi. member of the Bexar County Medical Society.
COVID-19 Screening Trends event. The video presents the correct operation of screening instru- org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.2405 Sarah Traynor Poor is a medical student at the Long School of Medicine
The first project assessed trends in visual acuity (VA) and intraoc- ments, the role of the volunteer and basic eye terminology. After the 2. Toro, MD, Brézin, AP, Burdon, M, Cummings, AB, Evren at UT Health San Antonio, Class of 2027, and the 2024 student
ular pressure (IOP) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, a short survey was given to students to determine the video’s Kemer, O, Malyugin, BE, Prieto, I, Teus, MA, Tognetto, president of the Lions Mobile Eye Screening Unit. She enjoys applying
pandemic changed the landscape of healthcare significantly, and not efficacy. The survey asked questions about students' comfort level D, Törnblom, R, Posarelli, C, Chorągiewicz, T & Rej- her background as an ophthalmic technician when volunteering at the
just in emergency departments and ICUs. Many national ophthalmol- with performing an eye screening before and after both watching dak, R. (2021). Early impact of COVID-19 outbreak on Mobile Eye Screening Unit.
ogy societies recommended against non-emergent eye screenings and the training video and attending the MESU event. Survey results
treatments to reduce COVID-19 transmission.2 To explore whether indicated that watching the training video significantly improved eye care: Insights from EUROCOVCAT group. Euro- Harsh Madaik is a medical student at the Long School of Medicine at
the global changes of 2020 would be reflected in local community the self-reported preparedness of student volunteers, with hands-on pean journal of ophthalmology, 31(1), 5–9. https://doi. UT Health San Antonio, Class of 2026. Harsh is interested in the public
eye health, VA and IOP failure rates at 10 MESU screening locations experience at the event providing additional confidence. Improv- org/10.1177/1120672120960339 health applications of ophthalmology and preventative health education
were compared before (September 2018 - June 2020) and after (May ing volunteer training has increased the quality of eye screenings, 3. Traynor Poor, S, Tuttle, J, Freyaldenhoven, K, Madaik, H, for irreversible eye diseases like glaucoma.
2021 - December 2022) the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At increasing the potential benefit of the MESU. Lloyd, C, Mojica, D, Johnson, DA. (2024, February 3). Imple- Kannan Freyaldenhoven is a medical student at the Long School of
mentation of Video Training for Mobile Eye Screening Unit Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, Class of 2026, and the 2023
Volunteers. 2024 CSL Conference UTHSA, San Antonio, TX. student vice president of research for the Lions Mobile Eye Screening Unit.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27466.95683 Kannan enjoys using his background in Spanish to help deliver effective
4. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). Household Language. American screenings to those served by the MESU.
Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Supplemental Estimates, Jared Tuttle is a medical student at Long School of Medicine at UT
Table K201601. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/table/ Health San Antonio, Class of 2026, and the 2023 student president of
ACSSE2022.K201601?q=bexar county&t=Language Spoken the Lions Mobile Eye Screening Unit. Jared has a passion for improving
at Home&d=ACS 1-Year Supplemental Estimates access to patient care within the community, across all languages and
5. Yanev, P, Membreno, R, Han, R, Mella, J, Hill, J, Johnson, DA. backgrounds.
(2018). San Antonio Vision and Eye Studies (SAVES): Impact
of Demographics and Insurance Status on Prevalence of Eye
Exams. American Academy of Ophthalmology 2018 Confer-
ence, Chicago, IL
6. Freyaldenhoven, K, Tuttle, J, Madaik, H, Gaspar De Alba, J,
Mojica, D, Johnson, DA. (2024, February 3). Enhancing Span-
ish-Language Capacity Among Volunteers at Bexar County Eye
Screenings. 2024 CSL Conference UTHSA, San Antonio, TX.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17400.62727

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