Abstract
Purpose :
To determine if comprehension and compliance improve with Spanish digital media in primarily Spanish speaking glaucoma patients.
Methods :
Research was conducted at EyeCare Consultants of NJ’s Woodland Park location. Two ophthalmologists treated and surveyed 75 glaucoma patients in three 25-person groups: primarily English speaking (ES), Spanish speaking (SS), and Arabic speaking (AS). Placement was determined by the language the doctor (ECPs) or translator spoke when communicating. At onset, all patients were shown the same glaucoma educational videos in English using CheckedUp's platform. At visit conclusion, patients were asked: “Did the videos help you better understand your condition?”
In follow up, before seeing their ECPs, patients were shown the same videos except for SS group who saw Spanish versions instead. Patients were again asked the same concluding question to measure changes in understanding. ECPs also tracked treatment adherence after each visit to determine differences.
Results :
The survey results demonstrate all groups increased glaucoma comprehension after the second visit compared to the first. Only 60% of ES, 48% of AS, and 44% of SS patients felt CheckedUp videos helped them better understand glaucoma after the first visit. These figures rose to 88%, 64%, and 84% after the second visit. ECPs also noted SS and ES patients demonstrated improved adherence after the second visit, while AS patients' did not change.
Conclusions :
SS group showed the greatest increase between the first and second visits with regard to reporting better understanding of glaucoma. We conclude digital media translated into patients’ comfort languages better serves to educate at the point of care. The ES group had the most patients reporting CheckedUp videos helped comprehension after the first visit. This is likely because every group was shown the same video in English, the ES group’s comfort language, during the first visit. ES and AS groups showed less comprehension improvement between visits compared to the SS group. The improvement shown by the former two groups can be attributed to repetition. Trends indicate greater compliance accompanies better patient education when presented in a patient’s comfort language. The findings demonstrate the need for digital solutions like CheckedUp to develop more language offerings so benefits can more inclusively improve all patients' experiences.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.