Glaucoma “en español:” Adapting educational resources for use with Hispanics/Latinos

Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States, disproportionately affects Hispanics/Latinos. The National Eye Institute projects that, by 2030, cases of glaucoma in this population will rise by 170%. Creating awareness of the need for early detection of glaucoma through compelling and appropriate materials is critical to addressing the rates of vision loss among Hispanics/Latinos.

As part of its efforts to reach Hispanics/Latinos, the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) adapted its Keep Vision in Your Future: Glaucoma Toolkit for use with Spanish-speaking audiences. The toolkit is designed to increase awareness about how glaucoma affects vision, how the disease can be detected early, and what can be done to prevent vision loss and blindness. A PowerPoint presentation, speaker notes, and handouts can be accessed online by health professionals and community health workers for use with their patients and clients.

NEHEP carried out a rapid assessment with end users who serve Hispanic/Latino communities to refine the content and format of the Spanish-language toolkit. The results indicated that slight modifications would make the toolkit more appealing to Hispanics/Latinos. Some of these changes include adjusting the reading level of materials, changing the toolkit design and images, and removing resources that would not be used by the audience.

The toolkit is now being field tested to ensure audience comprehension, cultural appropriateness, and usefulness. Health professionals are using the materials for one month in real world settings and will provide additional input prior to finalizing and launching the toolkit.