Assessing patients’ perception of the potential utility of Visual Function Home Monitoring among patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Purpose : To determine the acceptability of using a smartphone application (app) for visual function home monitoring (HM) among patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia, thereby identifying potential concerns and barriers which may require mitigation during implementation

Methods : A quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional questionnaire included patients with diabetes aged between 20-70. The study was undertaken from August 2022 to October 2023. The questions were adapted from a validated published questionnaire and translated into Arabic. The questionnaire consisted of a mixture of question types (scaled questions, one open-ended question, and multiple-choice questions) and focused on socio-demographic factors and potential barriers associated with the acceptance of visual function HM apps, accounting for experience of telehealth app usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in six centres across five regions in Saudi Arabia.

Results : 240 patients with diabetes participated, 40.2% of patients in the average range between (40-59 yrs), and 42.5% were male. Nearly 93% had to travel up to two hours for treatment, and only 40.8% were examined in primary eye care clinics. 48.8% were open to trying an app, while 40.8% preferred physical visits in non-urgent cases. The preferences were significantly associated with age, educational level, urbanicity, and travelling distance (p=0.025, p=0.023, p=0.011, p=0.021) respectively. Costs associated with visits did not alter these preferences, as only 14.7% would switch HM due to cost-related factors. Logistic regression revealed that the likelihood of accepting a hybrid clinic approach was more likely to be accepted by females (OR: 0.453; 95% CI, 0.21-0.92; p=0.029) and young patients (20-39 years: OR: 5.01; 95% CI, 1.82-13.82; p< 0.001, and 40-59 years: OR: 2.28; 95% CI, 0.084-5.00; p=0.48). In addition, patients who regularly attended primary eye clinics for an eye examination or specialized governmental clinics (p=0.038 and p=0.019, respectively) showed greater acceptance.

Conclusions : The study revealed evidence of hesitation to monitor visual function via a HM app, mainly due to factors such as increased age, lower educational level, urbanicity, and travelling distance. However, younger patients with diabetes seemed open to a hybrid model of care.

This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.