EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
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E W NEWS & OPINION 18 Socioeconomics, education continue to affect who seeks eyecare services A m ong individuals with age-related eye diseases, who is most likely to skimp on diagnosis, as- sessment, and treatment? A nswer: Individuals with lower income and less than a high school education, according to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2013. 1 E yecare in adults with age- related disease is crucial to target because of the economic burden placed on society and the impair- ment that age-related eye disease (ARED) can place on one's daily ac- tivities, including falls, social isola- tion, depression, and productivity loss, the investigators reported. S tudy investigators, led by Xinzhi Zhang, MD, National Insti- tute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., focused on the relationship between socioeco- nomic status and the use of eyecare services in 2002 and 2008 in U.S. adults with self-reported ARED. I nvestigators used 2002 and 2008 data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an ongoing health survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They were able to analyze respon- dents' poverty income ratio (PIR) and level of education. The study population was a cross-sectional na- tionally representative sample that included adults at least 40 years old who had reported any ARED, includ- ing age-related macular degenera- tion, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma; their analysis included 3,586 participants from the 2002 group and 3,104 participants from the 2008 group. The study aimed to measure if those with ARED had at least one dilated eye exam annually, as recom- mended in general for those with ARED by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Optometric Association. The study also wanted to find out if those with ARED had made at least one visit to an eyecare provider within a 12- month period. Investigators found major differ- ences in the use of eyecare services based on socioeconomic status. Individuals with a PIR of 1.50 or less—just slightly above the federal poverty threshold—were signifi- cantly less likely than those with a PIR of at least 5 to visit an eyecare provider—62.7% versus 80.1%. Only 64.3% of those with a PIR of less than 1.50 reported having a dilated eye exam in the previous year, February 2014 by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Writer Tracking disparities in eyecare continued on page 20 For information regarding speaking and sponsorship opportunities, contact: Craig Simak Executive Producer (516) 307-0743 Craig@ibfconferences.com For questions regarding registration, contact: Brooke Greiff (516) 468-6027 Brooke@ibfconferences.com OPHTHALMOLOGY INNOVATION SUMMIT April 24, 2014 | Seaport Hotel, Boston, MA CREATING AN ECOSYSTEM OF CLINICAL, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS The Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) is a forum dedicated to advancing ophthalmic innovation by uniting the leading investors, physicians, entrepreneurs and industry executives in the ophthalmology space, to facilitate information transfer, deal-flow, and strategic partnerships and acquisitions. — Register now at www.oisascrs.com — Seating is limited. Register now with registration code EYEWORLD oisascrs_ad_eyeworld_2014_january.indd 1 12/11/13 5:19 PM 13-25 News_EW February 2014-DL2-ALT-OIS-ad_Layout 1 1/30/14 10:07 AM Page 18