Encouraging people to seek out eye care services involves raising awareness about eye care in general, raising awareness about the existence and benefits of a particular eye clinic or hospital, and being clear about the costs involved. People in the community may be unaware of the existence of eye care services; they may also think that they do not need the services, or that they will not be able to afford the treat- ments. People may fear eye surgery; they may also believe that some eye disorders cannot be prevented or cured. There are many established ways of addressing misconcep- tions and lack of information in the community. Increasing people’s awareness about eye care is necessary, but not enough: we also want them to come to our eye centre, hospital, or clinic to get the eye care they need. If we want to successfully change people’s behaviour, we must understand who we are trying to reach (see page 22): • What do they already know? • What opinions do they hold about eye care and related issues, such as eye care for older people or women? • What motivates them? What is important to them? • Who has influence with this community? This information can help us to design a programme of information, education, and communication (IEC) activities aimed at convincing people to change their own health behaviour and make use of the health services we offer. When these activities take the form of advertising campaigns, this is known as ‘social marketing’. Being successful at IEC or social marketing does not always require a lot of money. It does, however, require careful thought and planning. Here are a few ideas and suggestions for all your communi- cation activities. 1 Posters and promo- tional materials. If you want to create posters, make sure they are appropriate for the community you want to reach and that the language and pictures communicate the right messages. Think: who are you trying to reach? What motivates them? Who do they respect? It is always advisable to test the posters irst by showing them to people from the community you are trying to reach. Ask them what they think the posters mean, and try to determine whether they feel more motivated to change their behaviour after seeing the posters. Think about where people are most likely to see the posters – for example at bus stops, near shops, or in community centres. Ask for help from others who have done similar work, for example people working on HIV/AIDS or TB campaigns. 2 Interpersonal communication. You could teach community leaders or other respected community members about eye care, where to go for help, and how much this will cost. They can share the new infor- mation with others. Patients who have received good eye care are also very important as they can convince many others to come for treatment. Consider inviting them to talk about their experiences at community gatherings. 3 Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Journalists are often looking for new ideas or community initiatives to support, and will be happy to tell their readers, listeners, or viewers about the importance of eye care. For example, you can tell them that many older people in the community are going blind from cataract, and that a simple and affordable operation could restore their sight. Radio serials (soap operas) have been used successfully in many part of the world to communicate health care information to 26 COMMUNITY EYE HEALTH JOURNAL | VOLUME 25 ISSUE 78 | 2012 ATTRACTING PATIENTS How to encourage patients to come for the eye services they need Boateng Wiafe Regional Director for Africa, Operation Eyesight Universal This sign, near the main entrance, ensures that everyone visiting the main hospital knows that eye care is also available here. ZAMBIA ORBIS Southern Africa ‘Patients who have received good eye care can convince many others to come for treatment’ Community outreach will raise awareness about your eye programme. ZAMBIA ORBIS Southern Africa