Vision Awareness Month: Reaching Hispanic and Latino Patients Before Symptoms Appear

By: Lina Arango, OD

October’s Vision Awareness Month draws attention to eye diseases that can progress before patients experience pain or noticeable changes in vision. For Hispanic and Latino communities, increasing awareness of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy is especially important.

The National Eye Institute reports that Hispanic and Latino populations have high rates of both conditions, yet many are not receiving regular dilated eye examinations. Almost eight out of ten Hispanic and Latino individuals with glaucoma do not know they have it.¹

These findings highlight an important challenge for optometrists: Patients may assume that if they see clearly and have no symptoms, their eyes are healthy. That misunderstanding can be compounded when language differences, unfamiliar medical terminology or limited experience with preventive eye care make it difficult to understand why an examination is necessary when nothing appears to be wrong.

Making the Message Relevant to Hispanic and Latino Patients

Glaucoma often progresses gradually, with peripheral vision loss developing before a patient becomes aware of it. Diabetic retinopathy may also damage the retina before vision changes occur.

For Hispanic and Latino patients with diabetes, optometrists have an important opportunity to clearly connect diabetes management with eye health. Rather than simply recommending a dilated examination, explain why it matters:

“Diabetes can affect the small blood vessels in the back of your eyes before you notice a change in your vision. A dilated examination allows us to look for those changes early.”

Age-related macular degeneration should also be discussed with older patients based on their individual risk factors, including age, family history and smoking. Patients should know that new distortion, difficulty seeing faces or a blurred area in their central vision requires prompt attention.

Move Beyond Translation

Offering information in a patient’s preferred language is essential, but culturally responsive communication involves more than translation. Hispanic and Latino patients represent many different countries, cultures, educational backgrounds and health care experiences.

Optometrists can improve understanding and follow-through by:

• Using plain language instead of unfamiliar medical terminology.
• Explaining why a test or follow-up visit is needed.
• Asking patients to describe the next step in their own words.
• Including family members or caregivers when the patient wishes.
• Asking whether cost, transportation, work schedules or other concerns could make follow-up difficult.
• Providing written instructions in the patient’s preferred language.

Rather than simply saying, “Come back next year,” connect the recommendation to the patient’s specific risk:

“Because you have diabetes, we need to examine your retina regularly—even if your vision has not changed.”

Vision Awareness Month reminds us that good vision today does not always mean healthy eyes. By making that message clear, culturally responsive and personally relevant, optometrists can help Hispanic and Latino patients understand the importance of preventive eye care—before symptoms appear and while there is still an opportunity to protect their sight.

Reference

1. National Eye Institute. “Eye Health Among Hispanics/Latinos.” National Institutes of Health.