# Increasing Eye Care Utilization in Black Americans At High Risk For Glaucoma Using A Community-Engaged and Faith-Based Intervention

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $169,560

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
There are significant gaps in our understanding between well-established, evidence-based guidelines for
detection and treatment of glaucoma and effectively applying those guidelines within the high-risk populations
that continue to develop blindness. As outlined by the National Academy of Medicine, great opportunity exists to
incorporate principles of population health and community engagement to close this observed glaucoma
detection gap. The overall objective of this study is to design and implement a faith-based, community health
worker-delivered (CHW) support program for individuals at high risk for glaucoma, specifically Black Americans.
The central hypothesis is that a personalized faith-based support program will result in increased eye care
utilization in Black Americans at high risk for glaucoma who currently underutilize eye care. The rationale is that
increasing appropriate eye care utilization in high-risk individuals and beginning treatment at earlier stages of
the disease will decrease the risk of unpreventable blindness. The candidate will reach the overall objective by
achieving the following 2 specific aims: 1) Use implementation science framework and community-engaged
methods to adapt an existing glaucoma coaching program and develop a multilevel intervention that addresses
the key determinants of successfully increasing eye care utilization in Black Americans; and 2) Implement and
evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Community-Based Treatment for Glaucoma program (ComBaT
Glaucoma), for Black Americans. In Aim 1, the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases (TICD)
implementation science framework will be used to guide semi-structured interviews with community members,
leaders, and local eye care providers to identify barriers and potential facilitators of increasing eye care utilization
in Black Americans; and b) adapt the Support, Educate and Empower (SEE) Program to the needs and culture
of the community to develop and the faith-based CHW-delivered program that uses implementation strategies
and behavior change techniques linked to community-identified determinants for optimal success. In Aim 2, the
ComBaT Glaucoma program will be implemented by conducting a single-arm pilot study with 50 Black
Americans. The candidate will use mixed methods to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the ComBaT
Glaucoma program. This study is significant because it addresses a gap between well-established guidelines for
glaucoma and high-risk individuals that continue to go blind despite these data. It is innovative because it
employs implementation science framework, a community-engaged, faith-based tailored approach to create a
support program to increase eye care utilization in Black Americans at high risk for glaucoma. Dr. Elam will use
the skills acquired during this training award to become one of the few ophthalmologists trained in implementation
science and community-engaged health disparit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10884883
- **Project number:** 5K23MD016430-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela R Elam
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $169,560
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-22 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10884883

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10884883, Increasing Eye Care Utilization in Black Americans At High Risk For Glaucoma Using A Community-Engaged and Faith-Based Intervention (5K23MD016430-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10884883. Licensed CC0.

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