Abstract
Purpose :
Prior research has shown worse health outcomes in the incarcerated population, and specifically in the management of glaucoma. Since federal courts have repeatedly cited the conditions in the Alabama state prison system as unconstitutional, the current study reports on the demographics, glaucoma diagnoses, follow up metrics, and medication adherence of incarcerated individuals seen at an resident clinic based in Alabama.
Methods :
This was a retrospective chart review of incarcerated persons seen at the UAB Callahan Eye Lions Clinic between January 2017-December 2022. For each patient visit, the following were recorded: age, gender, race, ethnicity, recommended and actual follow-up time, visual acuity, IOP, eye drops prescribed, eye drop adherence, subjective complaint, laser/surgical history, visual field and optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements, assessment and care plan.
Results :
The study included eighty-one patients with a total of 568 visits. The majority were male (89.5%) and ages ranged from 26-74 years (mean 51.1). Forty-two patients (51.9%) identified as African American, 8 patients as white, 2 as Hispanic, and 29 declined to answer. Most had primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) (67.4%) with fewer diagnosed with glaucoma suspect (34.9%). Most (59%) had a co-morbid ocular condition that precipitated or followed their glaucoma diagnosis. Of all encounters, only 213 visits (35.9%) were within the recommended follow up time. Of the 499 visits that included medication in the care plan, only 65% included medication adherence.
Conclusions :
Although state prisons and county/municipal jails are required to provide medication, transportation, and healthcare for those incarcerated, the results demonstrate high loss to follow-up and poor medication adherence among those with glaucoma and associated disease.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.