Minority health panel encourages cultural competence in eye care

The National Optometric Association and Transitions Optical Inc. have published a paper that summarizes key points from a “Minority Eye Health Matters” panel held at the annual NOA Convention and CE Program.

In the paper, “Why Minority Eye Health Still Matters," experts underlined easy-to-implement strategies all eye care professionals can implement to become more culturally competent and offer the best care to all patients, according to a press release from Transitions.

The paper addressed strategies to improve physician-patient communication among health care professionals; the challenges that patients with diabetes face and how eye care professionals help; and how eye care professionals can help alter the trajectory of what is projected for vision impairment and blindness due to diabetes, hypertension and glaucoma.

In addition, the paper highlighted how to treat the unique eye health care needs of African-Americans and Hispanics and best practices for eye care and optical professionals to be culturally competent. Although it can be challenging to address language and cultural barriers, eye care professionals must have a strategy to provide patients with the best care, the panelists recommended.

In the paper, the panelists offered some strategies and advice for clinicians, such as:

understanding cultural barriers to promote a culturally sensitive environment;
holding staff training on cultural considerations for care;
challenging your staff and yourself to become aware of any implicit bias; and
hiring personnel in your office that culturally and ethnically represents the community you serve.

“Regardless of their years of experience, it’s important for all eye care professionals to pause every once and a while and consider what else they can be doing to better serve their culturally diverse patients,” Dana Reid, marketing manager in digital communications at Transitions Optical, said in the release. “The panelists and members of the NOA sitting in the audience not only helped to shed light on what issues health professionals might face when caring for African -American and Hispanic patients, but also shared workable solutions for addressing them. We hope this paper encourages practicing eye care professionals, optometry students, optometry school faculty and optical business owners to take additional steps to be culturally competent.” – by Savannah Demko

References:

Transitions Optical. Why minority health still matters. Posted December 2017. Accessed December 7, 2017.