All Eyes on Us: Community-based perspectives on eye health and vision care in Cleveland, Ohio

Abstract

Purpose : Early detection of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a leading cause of blindness, is essential for mitigating severe visual impairment. The World Health Organization has highlighted the importance of engaging with communities about vision care and early disease intervention. We established the All Eyes on Us (AEOU) study in collaboration with University Settlement in the Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio to assess community-based perceptions of vision care and barriers to seeking vision care.

Methods : In collaboration with University Settlement, a community resource center for over 90 years in the Broadway-Slavic Village community of Cleveland, Ohio, we established a Community Advisory Board (CAB) comprised of community members interested in learning more about vision care and health. The CAB helped design our interview guide, which we administered to Broadway-Slavic Village community members over age 40 as semi-structured interviews designed to illuminate perceptions of and obstacles to vision care. Interviews with 60 individuals (30 self-reported African American and 30 self-reported White) were 30-45 minutes in length and audio-recorded. Of these, we transcribed and coded 59 interviews for thematic elements using the NVivo 12 Plus qualitative software package. One interview was coded manually.

Results : While study interviews demonstrated a wide array of perspectives of vision care, there were several common themes. Some reasons people reported for not going to the eye doctor included cost, insurance issues, lack of transportation, and not knowing where to seek eye care. Several individuals mentioned that they did not have general knowledge about eye health and were unaware of the importance of seeking vision care. Interestingly, when asked about their frequency of eye doctor visits compared to what they would suggest for others, study participants commonly said that people should seek vision care annually but said that they personally go less frequently.

Conclusions : We obtained perspectives of 60 Cleveland, Ohio community members; interview topics ranged from how they value vision care for themselves and other members of their community to the reasons that they are unable to access vision care. This information will help illuminate the needs of the community and inspire research into interventions by which improved access to adequate eye care can be achieved.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.