Page 73 - Demo

methodological and implication related limitations ofthesesurveysbecamemoreandmoreapparent. The Foundation, and the greater eye health sector, lacked a standardised, robust and validated needs assessment tool that could be used in low to middle income settings to understand how and why local populations engaged with eye care.
The Community Engagement in Eye Health Assessment Tool (CEEHAT) was developed to address this need and inform design of effective and locally- relevant eye health services and public awareness campaigns.
Structure and use of the tool:
The tool is a full suite of survey tools that can be used with adults over 16 years and adapted and used exibly, depending on the setting and health services’ needs. Included are three demographic sets (one for respondents, one for households, and one relating to the survey location), one core
module focused on eye health patient behaviour, opportunity, capability and motivation, and six optional modules. Optional modules cover: a) willingness to pay; b) trachoma; c) river blindness; d) diabetes; e) past experience with eye care; and f) mapping the client journey.
The core survey includes Module 1 and all three demographic sets and would be asked of everyone in the community sample set. Optional modules are added if required.
How was the CEEHAT developed?
A group of public health researchers came together to de ne community engagement in eye health, outline the requirements for an assessment tool, and develop and test a tool that could meet the information needs of the eye health sector.
The rst step was to de ne and understand what is meant by the term “community engagement in eye
73 EYEZONE Issue 91-92 May / August 2020