A Retrieval System for Patients with Avoidable Blindness Due to Diabetic Retinopathy who do not Present for Ophthalmic Assessment in Oman
2011

Retrieval System for Diabetic Retinopathy Patients in Oman

Sample size: 654 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Khandekar Rajiv, Al Lawati Jawad, Barakat Nabil

Primary Institution: Ministry of Health, Oman

Hypothesis

Can a proactive retrieval system improve compliance among diabetic patients who miss eye examinations?

Conclusion

The defaulter retrieval system effectively identified and motivated patients with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy to comply with eye care.

Supporting Evidence

  • 75% of registered patients with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy were defaulters.
  • 66.4% of defaulters were successfully retrieved through the system.
  • Barriers to compliance included lack of awareness and transportation.

Takeaway

This study shows that reaching out to patients who miss their eye appointments can help them get the care they need to avoid blindness from diabetes.

Methodology

The study involved reviewing data from a registry of patients with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy and implementing a retrieval system to contact defaulters.

Potential Biases

Potential biases include reliance on self-reported data from patients regarding their reasons for defaulting.

Limitations

The study was limited to five regions in Oman and may not represent the entire population of diabetic patients.

Participant Demographics

The study included 654 patients with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy, with a near-equal distribution of male and female participants.

Statistical Information

Confidence Interval

95% confidence interval, 6.36–7.38

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.4103/0974-9233.80694

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