Study finds discrepancies in visits to providers
A July study that appeared in JAMA Ophthalmology found that the disparity in the use of eye care services persists based on socioeconomic status. Over the years, treatment of certain conditions, such as macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma has improved markedly. However, one of the authors, Xinzhi Zhang, MD, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health, writes in the study background, “To benefit from these interventions, however, individuals must have access to eye care.” The study, titled, Socioeconomic Disparity Persists in Use of Eye Care Services Among U.S. Adults with Age-Related Eye Diseases, found that poorer patients with age-related eye disease were less likely than wealthier ones to visit an eye care provider (62.7 percent versus 80.1 percent) or undergo a dilated eye exam in the previous 12 months (64.3 percent versus 80.4 percent. The study also found that persons with less than a high school education were less likely than those with at least a college education to report a visit to an eye care clinician (62.9 percent versus 80.8 percent) or dilated eye examination (64.8 percent versus 81.4 percent). The authors concluded, “There is a need for increased awareness about the relationship between social circumstances and age-related eye disease and for more research to determine how income and educational inequalities affect health-seeking behavior at the community and individual level over time,” the authors conclude. Read the full summary here. http://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/socioeconomic-disparity-persists-in-use-of-eye-care-services-among-u-s-adults-with-age-related-eye-diseases/
