Abstract
Purpose :
The aim of this study was to determine the willingness of patients to undergo point-of-care diabetic eye screening with primary care providers (PCPs) by means of non-mydriatic fundus photography (nFP).
Methods :
An anonymous ten-question survey was mailed out to a random sample of patients overdue for diabetic retinopathy screening examinations. The survey was designed to measure self-reported health status, diabetic and eye-health literacy, perceived barriers to in-person eye examinations, and willingness to undergo nFP. Demographic data was limited to age and gender. Chi-Square Test-Cramer's V, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and linear regression were used in the statistical analyses.
Results :
Out of 390 patients surveyed, 62 participants (16%) returned a completed questionnaire by mail. Roughly half of participants were over the age of 65 (56%). Participants generally rated themselves in above-average health (7.0 ± 1.8). The participants’ overall rating of health was inversely correlated with concern about losing vision because of diabetes (F4,55 = 2.931, p = 0.029). Ability to drive (79%) was positively associated with the frequency of eye examinations (F3,58 = 6.61, p < 0.001). In contrast, driving had no impact on frequency of seeing PCPs (p=0.446[KMR1] ). Despite the survey being sent to patients identified as being overdue for screening examinations for diabetic retinopathy (an average of (731 ± 413 days), more than 90% of participants reported that they obtained eye checkups at least annually despite evidence to the contrary. The most common disincentives reported for obtaining in-person eye examinations were: difficultly in scheduling or inconvenient location (27%); reluctance to have eyes dilated or finding eye examinations uncomfortable (11%); and high out-of-pocket costs (11%). Respondents who cited barriers to obtaining eye examinations were more likely to be interested in nFP compared to those who cited none (V = 0.360, p=0.023). Patients who stated that they saw their eye doctor frequently were more likely to continue to do so after nFP screening (V = 0.335, p=0.015).
Conclusions :
Diabetic eye screening by means of nFP is likely to be accepted by a majority of patients as a point-of-care test, if offered by PCPs. Patients who experience barriers in accessing traditional in-person eye care services are more likely to favor diabetic eye screening by nFP.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.