253651 University of Miami's Vision Loss Prevention Translational Research Center (TRC)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 9:06 AM

David J. Lee, PhD , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Byron L. Lam, MD , Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL
Margaret Byrne, PhD , Dept. of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Sanders Dubovy, MD , Department of Ophthalmology & Bacom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Richard Parrish , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Kristopher L. Arheart, EdD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
Katherine E. McCollister, PhD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
William Feuer , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Joyce Schiffman , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Potyra Aroucha , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Naresh Kumar , Department of Geography, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Diane Zheng, MS , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Laura A. McClure, MSPH , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Cristina Fernandez, MSEd , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Manuel Ocasio, BA , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, MPH , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
     
Purpose: The overall objective of the Miami TRC is to evaluate how individual and socio-physical contextual factors impact access to and the quality of eye care in medically underserved residents living in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Methods: In the first project, we are examining fundus photo screening of diabetic patients receiving care at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, with respect to individual (such as race/ethnicity, insurance status) and socio-physical contextual factors (such as neighborhood level poverty, access and proximity to public transport) with the aid of multivariate and multi-level regression modeling. Patient-level data are being collected via medical chart review. Data on contextual factors are being extracted from publically available datasets, such as the US Census and Google Earth using geocodes derived from patient address. The second project is an ancillary study of 2,000 individuals 40 years of age and older who participated in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the largest comprehensive population-based study of Hispanic health ever undertaken in the US. This ancillary study will document ocular healthcare utilization, barriers to care, ocular health knowledge, and prevalence of reported ocular conditions and risk factors in understudied Hispanic sub-groups, including Cuban-Americans and Central and South Americans.

Implications: In both studies, the research team will develop an understanding of factors that influence the presence and extent of ocular-related health disparities in underserved populations including Haitian-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Central and South Americans. This understanding will be critically important to develop interventions tailored to the needs of these traditionally underserved populations.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Chronic disease management and prevention

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe individual and socio-physical contextual factors impact access to and the quality of eye care in medically underserved populations. 2. Describe how publically available data can be used to enrich medical chart review studies. 3. Compare Hispanic sub-group ocular healthcare utilization, barriers to care, and ocular health knowledge.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I oversee vision loss prevention TRC programs at the University of Miami.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: The INSIGHT Research Network: a new collaborative approach to strategies for improving population eye health
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