PURPOSE: Ocular health promotion activities are increasingly performed by medical institutions in order to provide assistance for patients in need and to promote blindness prevention. To meet these aims, it is necessary to organize the activity considering all the staff and equipment involved, and the logistic in the process. The present study analyses three ophthalmological programs to identify the factors related to a successful social program. METHODS: Observational descriptive study including three ocular health campaigns carried out in 2005. RESULTS: The following campaigns were included: (1) Ophthalmological care for students of a public school and their relatives. Low visual acuity was detected in screening in the school in 90 patients, but only 45.5% of those showed at the hospital. Optical glasses were prescribed in 73% of the patients and 14.5% needed to be referred to ambulatory care; (2) Glaucoma screening in an agribusiness event. Of a total 107 examined individuals, none case of suspicious glaucoma was detected, but large information about how to detect precociously the disease, was done; (3) Visual acuity measurement and refraction of 1.200 school children, without previous screening. Were prescribed and donated ocular glasses for 18.83% of the examined children. CONCLUSION: Factors like the place for ophthalmological examination (community or hospital), free transportation, previous screening, available equipment and center for patients' referrals are related to higher efficiency and resolutivity of ocular health programs.
Health promotion; Triage; Ocular health; Visual acuity; School health
