Community Outreach Vision Screenings with Student-led Eye Health Education Improves Student Eye Health Knowledge and Ophthalmic Health Disparities Awareness

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of vision impairment and discordant lack of eye care utilization makes it essential to develop effective avenues to educate the future physician work force regarding basic eye health knowledge and ophthalmic health disparities. The public is often not aware that blinding eye diseases can begin asymptomatically. It is important for medical students to understand basic eye health knowledge, such as blinding eye diseases can begin asymptomatically. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an eye health knowledge 5-Point Teaching Intervention (5PTI) and structured patient intake form on student eye health knowledge and ophthalmic health disparities during community vision screenings. METHODS: Between 2015 and 2018, 71 first through fourth year medical students medical students participated in community vision screenings via the Vision Detroit Project (VDP). They conducted structured patient interviews including ophthalmic and systemic health history, burden of eye disease, and barriers to eye care. Students delivered a 5-Point Teaching Intervention (5PTI) for patients.. Pre- and post-surveys assessed changes in student eye health knowledge, using descriptive statistics, t-tests for chi-square test, ANOVA and multiple regression for analysis. RESULTS: Analysis of 97 paired pre- and post-surveys indicated a significant increase in student eye health knowledge (p