Overview

ProVision Eye Health Campaign, a 2004-2008 project funded by NIH National Eye Institute, address eye health among Baltimore’s Latino population. Led by The Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Center for Communication Programs at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the goal of the project was to increase knowledge about diabetic eye disease and increase care-seeking behaviors. CCP developed an eye health communication strategy to address these project objectives. As part of this effort, CCP assisted in the development and implementation of the project’s household survey, designed and carried out qualitative formative research, designed and produced materials for interviewers and survey participants, and began to design the communication campaign strategy.

Accomplishments

• Developed and implemented a household survey carried out in predominantly Latino areas of Baltimore City by preparing a questionnaire on target audience behaviors, training interviewers and refining knowledge, attitude, behavior and self-efficacy questions based on field test results.
• Solicited community input through interviews with community leaders and facilitated focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members.
• Designed the ProVision Eye Health campaign strategy which included an innovative network of small private sector shops and restaurants catering services to the Latino community; educational material and directions to seek and obtain clinical services; a hot line and referral service; and a radio programming with interviews to Wilmer Eye Institute leading Doctors.
• Designed and produced communication materials for the launch and implementation of the household survey, including an intranet site, press releases, media coverage, posters, flyers and post cards.
• Develop the How-to Tool Kit “Diabetic Eye Disease: Behavior Change Communication Strategy for Emerging Latino Communities” which shows a step by step process to carry out media and community level mobilization activities to raise awareness on diabetic eye disease.