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Eye Care Utilization among a High-Risk Diabetic Population Seen in a Public Hospital’s Clinics
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Feb 2014
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Source: JAMA Ophthalmol. 132(2):162-167.
[PDF-164.46 KB]
Details:
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Alternative Title:JAMA Ophthalmol
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Description:Objective
Little is known regarding eye care utilization among low income persons with diabetes, especially African Americans.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study with two-years of follow-up examined eye care utilization among adult diabetes patients seen in 2007 in the internal medicine clinic of a large, urban, county hospital that serves primarily low income, non-Hispanic African American patients. Patients with a history of retinopathy and macular edema or a current diagnosis indicating ophthalmic complications were excluded. Eye care utilization was defined dichotomously as whether or not patients had a visit to the eye clinic for any eye care examination or procedure. We estimated crude and adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between eye care utilization and selected clinical and demographic characteristics.
Results
There were 867 patients with diabetes identified: 61.9% women, 76.2% non-Hispanic African American, 61.3% indigent, and average age 51.8 years. Eye care utilization was 33.2% within one-year and 45.0% within two-years. For patients 19–39 years of age compared to those 65+ years, significantly decreased eye care utilization was observed within one-year (aRR=0.48, 95% CI 0.27–0.84) and within two-years (aRR=0.61, 95% CI 0.38–0.99).
Conclusions
Overall eye care utilization was low. Additional education efforts to increase the perception of need among urban minority populations may be enhanced if focused on younger people with diabetes.
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Pubmed ID:24310149
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC4479276
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