title: Eye on diabetes: a multidisciplinary patient education intervention.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of usual care to an intervention emphasizing patient education targeted at a multicultural adult patient population with diabetes seeking eye care in an academic health center.
  
  
  
  Ninety patients were randomized to usual care or to the intervention. All patients received a comprehensive eye health and vision examination and completed a demographic survey, a patient satisfaction survey, and a diabetes eye health pretest and posttest administered by a masked examiner at 1 week and 3 months. A multidisciplinary (optometry, pharmacy, endocrinology) patient education curriculum was developed for patients randomized to the intervention. Because the dependent variable was measured at 3 points on a nominal scale, a binary generalized estimating equation was employed.
  
  
  
  The assessment of patient knowledge at baseline revealed misconceptions about diabetic eye disease. While most patients recognized that people with diabetes should have regularly scheduled eye examinations through dilated pupils (90.0%), most patients incorrectly reported that diabetic eye disease usually has early warning signs (75.6%). While controlling for age, gender, race, education, and HbA1c level, subjects who participated in the intervention were 2 times more likely to score higher on the posttest (chi(2) = 45.51, P > .00). No differences between pretest and posttest scores were found for patients who did not participate in the intervention (chi(2) = 11.67, P > .11).
  
  
  
  Patients who participated in the educational intervention demonstrated an increase in knowledge across time. Patients may benefit from education emphasizing the importance of dilated eye examinations in the absence of ocular symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions Division, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions Division, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pizzimenti
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions Division, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions Division, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
authors.forename: Naushira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pandya
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions Division, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
authors.forename: Patrick C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hardigan
mesh_terms: D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D044469:Racial Groups; D014785:Vision, Ocular