Abstract
Purpose :
To assess the reasons and factors for loss to follow-up (LTFU) among patients treated at the glaucoma clinic of a tertiary-referral teaching hospital in Seoul, Korea.
Methods :
We identified all adult patients (≤ 65 years) with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) who had visited the glaucoma clinic between April 2011 and March 2014 and had missed an appointment by at least 18 months. POAG patients who had been LTFU were traced via cellular phone, and their true status and reasons for discontinuation of follow-up were documented.
Results :
A total of 10,134 POAG patients were considered: 5,608 (55.3%) men and 4,526 (44.7%) women. Among them, 207 (2.04%) had missed a scheduled appointment by 18 months or more, 193 (93.2%) of whom were successfully traced, three of whom (1.6%) had died. Of the 190 patients still alive, 98 (51.6%) had had discontinued their medication, 87 (45.8%) had self-transferred to another glaucoma clinic, and five (2.6%) had been treated with alternative medicine. The reasons cited for LTFU involving treatment interruptions were: lack of understanding regarding the necessity of follow-up (45.9%), unawareness of appointment schedule (30.6%), weakness or illness (13.3%), side effects of glaucoma medication (5.1%), dissatisfaction with clinic or hospital (2.0%), lack of money (2.0%), and others. In both univariate and stepwise multivariate linear regression analyses, older age (P = 0.001), male gender (P = 0.013), and shorter elapsed duration of glaucoma treatment (P = 0.038) were independently associated with follow-up loss involving treatment interruptions.
Conclusions :
Approximately half of the patients who had been LTFU had had treatment interruptions. This study’s results emphasize the need for ongoing educational support and improved appointment notification, especially for the elderly, men, and those who have started treatment in recent years.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.