Tailored Messages to Increase Eye Examination Behavior

Tailored Messages to Increase Eye Examination Behavior

The purpose of this project is to test two different types of health messages, one that is developed for a specific group (targeted) and the other that is more personalized to individuals (tailored), to see which is better at changing how often people have their eyes examined. We hypothesize that people who get the tailored messages will be more likely to get a dilated eye exam than people who receive the targeted messages.

Studies have shown that people are not getting their eyes examined on a regular basis, even though dilated eye exams can detect eye diseases like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy early, before significant vision loss has developed. Early detection can lead to earlier treatment, which can save sight by preventing or slowing the progression of these eye diseases. In this project we designed, implemented, and are now evaluating tailored and targeted print health messages to increase eye examination behavior in an African-American population 65 years of age and older, a group at increased risk of glaucoma and diabetes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• African-American
• 65 years of age or older
• no dilated fundus exam in past 2 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• appointment for dilated fundus exam scheduled
• no access to phone