Abstract
Purpose :
Telemedical screening for diabetic retinopathy is a cost-effective method of retinal disease detection, though it is difficult to ensure patient compliance with recommended ophthalmic follow up. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients evaluated in a diabetic retinopathy telemedicine screening program to examine demographic and socio-economic risk factors for lack of follow up.
Methods :
A retrospective cohort study of patients evaluated in the Massachusetts Eye & Ear diabetic retinopathy telemedical screening program from June 2021- October 2023 examined patient demographic and socioeconomic factors, including age, gender, primary language, race, ethnicity, relationship status, employment, insurance, and zip code, for patients referred for in-person ophthalmic evaluation after their screening visit. Patient demographic and self-reported data on social determinants of health were collected from the electronic medical record. Group comparisons of patients receiving in-person eye care versus those that did not were performed with Pearson, Fisher’s Exact test, and likelihood ratio.
Results :
Of n=242 patients screened and referred for in-person eye examination after telemedical screening, 113 (46.7%) completed a follow up visit. Males were found to be significantly less likely to complete a recommended follow up evaluation (p=.028). Additional demographic variables, including age, primary language, race, ethnicity, relationship status, employment status, insurance, and zip code, showed no significance between those that completed a follow up visit and those that did not. In examination of self-reported SDOH questionnaire, we found that none were significantly associated with lack of follow up.
Conclusions :
While male gender was significantly associated with lack of ophthalmic follow up, other demographic, socioeconomic, and self-reported social determinants of health metrics were not associated with rates of follow up. Additional studies are needed to evaluate risk factors for decreased rates of in-person follow-up care after telemedical diabetic retinopathy screening in hopes of improving in-person eye exam rates for patients with eye disease.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.