Brayden and Laura: Bihar India
Global Impact Fellows With Unite for Sight
We just returned from Bihar India with a group called Unite for Sight to volunteer at the AB Eye Institute in March 2010. Unite for Sight is a non-profit organization that aims to prevent blindness by applying best practices for health care. This program works with local ophthalmologists and optometrists to provide eye exams, eye surgery, and outreach to poverty stricken communities in developing countries like Ghana, India, and Honduras. While abroad, we screened patients for cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye diseases. We participated in sight restoring cataract surgeries. Thanks to the support of SO many people, we have raised more than $3200 to support 64 cataract surgeries! This blog is meant to keep all those who have contributed to this effort informed and help them see where their donations are going.
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We want to personally thank EVERYONE who has contributed to our fundraising effort for cataract surgeries in Patna, India.
Feel free to check out the success on our fundraising page!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Research

Unite for Sight offers volunteers the opportunity to do research while abroad as part of their global impact initiative. Brayden is very interested in doing research in Optometry school and jumped on this chance to get started early. From their website, Unite for Sight explains that "there are few published studies about eye care in developing countries, and Unite For Sight encourages all volunteers to consider developing a research study to contribute important knowledge about global eye care needs and solutions." After expressing interest in pursuing a research topic with UFS, the research topic that they would like completed focuses on patient perceptions of eye disease and medical care; what they believe are the causes of various eye problems, etc. This also includes demographic information. In India, Dr. Sinha explains that illiteracy (especially health illiteracy) along with other factors (like poverty etc.) prove to be barriers to seeking preventable treatment for blindness. This research would be a foundational study so that health education programs could be established to educate patients on diseases and treatments to overcome barriers to health care.

In order to get started, the research model must be approved by the IRB at the Unviersity of Utah. Brayden is soliciting the  aid of his former research professor Dr. Nick Galli from the department of Health Promotion and Education. While in India, the research will most likely be collected using a survey format with the help of a translator.


When completed, the research can be presented at Unite for Sight's annual Global Impact Conference and perhaps published in a journal for further research on patient education and overcoming barriers to health care.
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