1
|
Padhy D, Pyda G, Marmamula S, Khanna RC. Barriers to uptake of referral services from secondary eye care to tertiary eye care and its associated determinants in L V Prasad Eye Institute network in Southern India: A cross-sectional study-Report II. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303401. [PMID: 38743737 PMCID: PMC11093387 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the barriers to the uptake of referral services from secondary care centers (SC) to a higher-level tertiary care center (TC) in Southern India. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana, India, between February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019 and all those referred from SC to TC between January 1, 2013 to December 30, 2016 were identified for interview. Based on inclusion criteria, of the 960 participants identified, 681 (70.9%) participated in the study. A validated study questionnaire was administered to all participants. Information collected were the demographic details, details related to their referral and barriers to referral. The participants that presented at TC were considered compliant and who did not, were non-compliant. Reasons for non-compliance was also collected. RESULTS The mean age those interviewed was 46.1 years (SD: 17.3 years) and 429 (63%) were males and 252 (37%) were females. Overall, 516 (75.8%) were compliant, and 165 (24.2%) were non-compliant. The major factors for non-compliance were economic (16.4%) and attitudinal (44.2%) barriers. Within the attitudinal barrier category, the most prevalent individual attitudinal barriers were 'too busy to go to the eye center for treatment (16.4%)'and 'able to manage routine daily activities with current vision (12.1%)'. The multivariable analysis showed that the non-compliant participants had only visited the SC once prior to the referral (odds ratio: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.43-5.57) (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Participants with only one SC visit, were less likely to comply with referrals and the major barriers to compliance were economical and attitudinal. It is important to address these specific barriers to provide proper counseling to participants during referrals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debananda Padhy
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Giridhar Pyda
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Srinivas Marmamula
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Rohit C. Khanna
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Akeju DO, Okusanya BO, Ukah UV, Orimaye SO, Dirisu O. Editorial: Policy issues and perspectives in referrals and access to quality health care services. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2023; 3:1323442. [PMID: 38107742 PMCID: PMC10721970 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2023.1323442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. O. Akeju
- Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - B. O. Okusanya
- College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - U. V. Ukah
- Pregnancy and Child Research Centre, HealthPartners, Bloomington, MN, United States
| | - S. O. Orimaye
- College of Global Population Health, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - O. Dirisu
- Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Abuja, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Prakash WD, Marmamula S, Mettla AL, Keeffe J, Khanna RC. Variations in the prevalence of vision impairment across regions among school children in Telangana State, South India. Indian J Ophthalmol 2023; 71:3322-3327. [PMID: 37787229 PMCID: PMC10683682 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_215_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Undetected vision impairment (VI) could negatively affect the overall development in children. School vision screening program is a viable and cost-effective approach for the early identification and management of VI. Aim This study aims to estimate the prevalence of VI, its risk factors, and ocular morbidity among school children in Telangana, South India. Methods Children aged 4-15 years attending schools in the study area were screened in this study. The vision screenings were performed in schools by trained community eye health workers using 6/12 tumbling E optotypes. Children who failed the test and/or presented with other eye conditions were referred to vision centers or secondary and tertiary eye care centers. A comprehensive eye examination was conducted in these centers, including cycloplegic refraction and fundus examination. Results A total of 774,184 children, with a mean age of 9.4 ± 3.27 years, were screened. Overall, 51.49% (N = 398,596) were male. In total, 4.33% [N = 33,528; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.29-4.38] required referral services, while 1.16% (N = 9,002) had a presenting visual acuity of < 6/12. Multivariate analysis showed a high risk of VI among older children [Adj. odds ratio (OR): 5.75; 95% CI: 5.18-6.38], those with disabilities (Adj. OR: 5.12; 95% CI: 4.14-6.33), female gender (Adj. OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.24 - 1.35), and those residing in the urban areas (Adj. OR: 2.87; 95% CI: 2.42-3.39). The main cause of VI was uncorrected refractive errors (74.14%). Conclusion The prevalence of VI among school children was 1.16% in Telangana, South India, and refractive error was the leading cause of VI among this population. Increasing age, urban location, female gender and other disabilities increase the risk of VI among children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Winston D Prakash
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Brien Holden Institute of Optometry and Vision Science, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Srinivas Marmamula
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Brien Holden Institute of Optometry and Vision Science, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Asha Latha Mettla
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Jill Keeffe
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Rohit C Khanna
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Marmamula S, Kumbham TR, Modepalli SB, Chakrabarti S, Keeffe JE. Barriers to uptake of referral eye care services among the elderly in residential care: the Hyderabad Ocular Morbidity in Elderly Study (HOMES). Br J Ophthalmol 2023; 107:1184-1189. [PMID: 35365490 PMCID: PMC10359562 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-320534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To report on the barriers to uptake of eye care services after referral in the elderly in 'homes for the aged' in Hyderabad, India. METHODS Individuals aged ≥60 years were recruited from 41 'homes for the aged' and were examined in the 'make-shift' clinics in homes. All participants who had vision impairment or needed further eye examination other than spectacles were referred to the higher centres for 'free services'. Three months after the referral, the participants were interviewed and asked about the uptake of services, and their reasons for not attending. RESULTS In all, 731/1182 (61.8%) participants were referred of which 375 (49.9%) attended. In multiple logistic regression, participants aged ≥80 years were less likely to utilise the services (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.03). Similarly, the participants living in free homes (OR 3.53; 95% CI 2.15 to 5.79) and subsidised homes (OR 2.24: 95% CI 1.55 to 3.23) and those independently mobile had higher odds for uptake of services (OR 5.74; 95% CI 3.31 to 10.51). The major reasons for not availing the referral services were 'lack of felt need' reported by 136 (45.4%) participants followed by other health issues in 100 (33.4%) participants and non-consenting family members in 49 (16.4%) participants. In all, 14 (4.7%) participants gave other reasons. CONCLUSIONS The uptake of eye care services in the elderly in residential care remains poor despite the provision of services for free. Lack of felt need for services is the main reason for non-compliance to the referral for care. Counselling on the benefit of interventions could potentially improve referral compliance in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srinivas Marmamula
- Brien Holden Institute of Optometry and Vision Science, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Biotechnology / Wellcome Trust India Alliance, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Thirupathi Reddy Kumbham
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Satya Brahmanandam Modepalli
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Jill Elizabeth Keeffe
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Olawoye OO, Fawole O, Ashaye AO, Chan VF, Azuara-Blanco A, Congdon N. Effectiveness of community outreach screening for glaucoma in improving equity and access to eye care in Nigeria. Br J Ophthalmol 2023; 107:30-36. [PMID: 34362773 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-319355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the effectiveness of community outreach screening for glaucoma in improving equity and access to eye care in Nigeria. METHODOLOGY This was a prospective study in which two cohort of participants were recruited in Nigeria: 1 from 24 outreach screenings and another from consecutive patients presenting spontaneously to a tertiary eye clinic in Nigeria. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained from participants and compared. RESULTS Our sample consisted of 120 patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma (6.38% of 1881 screenees) recruited from the 24 outreach screenings, and another 123 patients with glaucoma who presented spontaneously at the eye clinic. Participants from the screenings were significantly older (p=0.012), less educated (p<0.001), had lower incomes (p<0.001), lower glaucoma knowledge scores and were less aware of their glaucoma (both p<0.001) and were more likely to be dependent on relations and children (p=0.002) compared with clinic participants. Of the 120 patients identified at the screenings and referred to the clinic for definitive care, 39 (32.5%) presented at the clinic within 3 months. Reasons for poor uptake of referral services were lack of a felt need and lack of money for transportation. Considering only patients who accepted referral, they were still less educated (p<0.001), poorer (p=0.001) and less knowledgeable about glaucoma (p=0.003) than spontaneous clinic presenters. CONCLUSION Outreach screening improved equity of access but its effects were somewhat reduced by poor uptake of referral care. Interventions such as free transportation and educational efforts may improve the uptake of referral services and maximise equity gains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olusola Oluyinka Olawoye
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ibadan College of Medicine, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria .,Centre for Public Health School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Olufunmilayo Fawole
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Biostatistics, University of Ibadan College of Medicine, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria
| | - Adeyinka O Ashaye
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ibadan College of Medicine, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria
| | - Ving Fai Chan
- Centre for Public Health School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Augusto Azuara-Blanco
- Centre for Public Health School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Nathan Congdon
- Centre for Public Health School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.,Preventive Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong, China.,Orbis International, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rathi VM, Murthy SI, Vaddavalli PK, Khanna RC. Feasibility and Outcomes of Corneal Transplantation Performed at Rural Centers: An Extension of the Pyramidal Model of Enhanced Eye Care at Rural Outreach. Cornea 2022; 41:211-218. [PMID: 34320597 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000002839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to report on the feasibility of setting up a system of corneal transplants at rural outreach centers and report the outcomes of the first 111 cases. METHODS Retrospective analysis of the outcomes of corneal transplantation performed on patients with optical indications between March 2016 and September 2019 at 4 secondary (rural) centers. The centers are a part of a network in the pyramidal model developed by L V Prasad Eye Institute. The graft clarity and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1-year follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS Of the 111 patients, 34.23% underwent penetrating keratoplasty and 65.77% endothelial keratoplasty. The mean age was 59.4 ± 15.0 (range-17-86 years); 47.75% were men and 52.25% were women. The indications for surgery were bullous keratopathy (54.05%), corneal scar/adherent leukoma (23.42%), and repeat grafts (13.51%). At the end of 1 year, 69.37% grafts remained clear. Factors associated with graft failure included poor socioeconomic status and graft infiltrate in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Surgical technique of endothelial keratoplasty was associated with failure on multivariate analysis only. Of the 77 eyes with clear corneal grafts at 1 year, the preoperative mean logMAR BCVA was 1.91 ± 0.06, which improved to 0.90 ± 0.08 postoperatively. Overall, 84.4% had preoperative BCVA of <3/60. Postoperatively, 40% had BCVA of 6/18 or better. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that close to 70% grafts remained clear at 1 year. Graft failure was associated with poor socioeconomic status and graft infiltrates. This study established a viable model for delivery of corneal transplant surgery and care in a rural setup.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Varsha M Rathi
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Indian Health Outcomes, Public Health and Economics (IHOPE) Research Centre, LVPEI, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Cornea Service, The Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Somasheila I Murthy
- Cornea Service, The Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Pravin K Vaddavalli
- Cornea Service, The Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Rohit C Khanna
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
- Indian Health Outcomes, Public Health and Economics (IHOPE) Research Centre, LVPEI, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India ; and
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Understanding the role of lady health workers in improving access to eye health services in rural Pakistan - findings from a qualitative study. Arch Public Health 2021; 79:20. [PMID: 33597017 PMCID: PMC7890803 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-021-00541-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 1994, the Lady Health Workers (LHWs) Programme was established in Pakistan to increase access to essential primary care services and support health systems at the household and community levels. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province in northern Pakistan, eye care is among the many unmet needs that LHWs were trained to address, including screening and referral of people with eye conditions to health facilities. However, despite an increase in referrals by LHWs, compliance with referrals in KPK has been very low. We explored the role of LHWs in patient referral and the barriers to patient compliance with referrals. Methods Qualitative methodology was adopted. Between April and June 2019, we conducted eight focus group discussions and nine in-depth interviews with 73 participants including patients, LHWs and their supervisors, district managers and other stakeholders. Data were analysed thematically using NVivo software version 12. Results LHWs have a broad understanding of basic health care and are responsible for a wide range of activities at the community level. LHWs felt that the training in primary eye care had equipped them with the skills to identify and refer eye patients. However, they reported that access to care was hampered when referred patients reached hospitals, where disorganised services and poor quality of care discouraged uptake of referrals. LHWs felt that this had a negative impact on their credibility and on the trust and respect they received from the community, which, coupled with low eye health awareness, influenced patients’ decisions about whether to comply with a referral. There was a lack of trust in the health care services provided by public sector hospitals. Poverty, deep-rooted gender inequities and transportation were the other reported main drivers of non-adherence to referrals. Conclusions Results from this study have shown that the training of LHWs in eye care was well received. However, training alone is not enough and does not result in improved access for patients to specialist services if other parts of the health system are not strengthened. Pathways for referrals should be agreed and explicitly communicated to both the health care providers and the patients.
Collapse
|
8
|
Rathi VM, Das AV, Khanna RC. Impact of COVID-19-related lockdown-I on a network of rural eye centres in Southern India. Indian J Ophthalmol 2020; 68:2396-2398. [PMID: 33120626 PMCID: PMC7774145 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_2303_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: With the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), India went for lockdown-I on March 23, 2020. In this article, we report on the demographic profile and ocular disorders from our 20 rural eye centres during lockdown-I and its comparison with the pre-lockdown period. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for all patients who visited or had teleconsultations at the 20 rural centres in our network between March 23 and April 19, 2020. Demographic and clinical details were collected from electronic medical records (EMR). Subspecialty was decided based on the diagnosis. Patients who needed advanced care were referred to the higher tertiary centres. We report the profile of patients seen and managed at the rural centres and the reasons for referrals. We also compare the data with the pre-lockdown period. Results: During the lockdown-I period, a total of 263 patients were treated including 48 teleconsultations (18.25%). The mean age was 48.16 years (SD: 19.53 years). There were 118 females (44.87%). As compared to pre-lockdown, during the lockdown, the patient visits were highest in the cornea and anterior segment specialty with 114 patients (43.35%), including conjunctivitis (n = 25; 22.32%). Of the 263 patients, 24 patients (9.12%) were referred to tertiary centres. This includes 6/27 (22.22%) patients of microbial keratitis. As compared to this, during pre-lockdown, 28,545 patients were seen. The mean age was 49.03 years (SD: 19.24 years). There were 14,927 (52.29%) females. The referral was 1525 (5.34%), including 34/249 (13.65%) of those with keratitis. Conclusion: Lockdown-I had significantly impacted patient care in rural areas. As compared to the pre-lockdown period, during the lockdown, there was an issue with access to services by females. Despite a higher number of specialty patients (including emergencies) visiting during the lockdown, 91% of the patients who visited rural centres could be managed locally, avoiding long-distance travel.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Varsha M Rathi
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural, Eyecare L V Prasad Eye Institute; Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Anthony Vipin Das
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre; Department of eyeSmart EMR and AEye, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Rohit C Khanna
- Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural, Eyecare L V Prasad Eye Institute; Brien Holden Eye Research Centre; School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhu X, Xu Y, Lu L, Zou H. Patients' perspectives on the barriers to referral after telescreening for diabetic retinopathy in communities. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care 2020; 8:8/1/e000970. [PMID: 32193199 PMCID: PMC7103829 DOI: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To understand the referral completion and explore the associated barriers to the referral after telescreening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) among people with vision-threatening DR (VTDR). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS All participants with VTDR after DR telescreening in the communities completed the self-reported questionnaires to assess referral completion and their perspectives on referral barriers. Sociodemographic characteristics and perceived barriers related to incomplete referrals were identified by conducting univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression model. The final model was then built to predict incomplete referral. RESULTS Of the 3362 participants, 46.1% had incomplete referral. Old age and lower education level showed significant association with incomplete referral. Almost all participants had at least one barrier during the referral process. Knowledge-related and attitude-related barriers, including 'Too old to want any more treatment', 'Difficulty in getting time to referral', 'No serious illness requiring treatment at present', 'My eyes are okay', 'Distrust the recommended hospital' and 'Have not been diagnosed or treated before', and logistics-related barrier 'Mobility or transportation difficulties' showed significant association with incomplete referral. CONCLUSIONS The issue of incomplete referral after DR telescreening is serious among individuals with VTDR, particularly in the elder and low education level population. The negativity of knowledge-related and attitude-related factors might be more prominent than logistic barriers in predicting incomplete referral. Therefore, new strategies to improve the compliance with referral assist in optimizing the referral accessibility, and the ongoing educational support to improve the awareness of disease and increase the effectiveness of physician-patient communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Zhu
- Department of Preventative Ophthalmology, Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center/Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Preventative Ophthalmology, Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center/Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lina Lu
- Department of Preventative Ophthalmology, Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center/Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haidong Zou
- Department of Preventative Ophthalmology, Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center/Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|