Prevent Blindness has created a new “Diabetes and the Eyes” toolkit (https://www.preventblindness.org/diabetes-and-eyes-educational-toolkit), a resource which includes materials in both English and Spanish. The “Diabetes and the Eyes” toolkit includes:
· Educator Course – created for health care professionals, community health educators, diabetes educators, and anyone in a caregiving or diabetes education role. The course equips health educators with important patient education messages about diabetes-related eye disease and strategies for maintaining healthy vision. It provides education to individuals living with diabetes as well as populations at highest risk for developing diabetes. · Fact sheets – three fact sheets about general information; symptoms and risk; and diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. · Infographics – shareable graphics designed to be used for social media and media communication to educate patients and the public. Users are encouraged to post messages with #VisionandDiabetes. · Assistance Resources – created to help patients seek the eye care that they require by understanding barriers to access, ways to navigate their healthcare systems, the intricacies of health insurance and eye care, and an understanding of eye care assistance resources.
The English version of the educator course and the fact sheets have received Favorably Reviewed Approval from the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), according to the Prevent Blindness announcement. The materials were made possible by funding from the Allergan Foundation.
www.preventblindness.org