Paul A. MacLennan|Gerald McGwin|Christine M. Heckemeyer|Virginia R. Lolley|Sandral Hullett|Jinan Saaddine|Sundar S. Shrestha|Cynthia Owsley
Eye Care Use Among a High-Risk Diabetic Population Seen in a Public Hospital's Clinics
University of Alabama at Birmingham|University of Alabama at Birmingham|Cooper Green Mercy Hospital|University of Alabama at Birmingham|Cooper Green Mercy Hospital|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|University of Alabama at Birmingham
little known regarding eye care use among lowincome persons diabetes mellitus especially african americansto investigate eye care use among patients diabetes seen county hospital clinic primarily serves highrisk lowincome nonhispanic african american patientsa retrospective cohort study 2 years followup examined eye care use among adult patients diabetes seen 2007 outpatient medical clinic large urban county hospital primarily serves lowincome nonhispanic african american patients patients history retinopathy macular edema current diagnosis indicating ophthalmic complications excluded eye care use defined dichotomously whether patients visit eye clinic eye care examination procedure estimated crude adjusted rate ratios arrs 95 cis association eye care use selected clinical demographic characteristicsthere 867 patients diabetes identified 619 women 762 nonhispanic african american 614 indigent mean age 518 years eye care utilization rates 332 within 1 450 within 2 years patients aged 19 39 years compared aged 65 years older significantly decreased eye care utilization rates observed within 1 year arr 048 95 ci 027084 within 2 years arr 061 95 ci 038099overall eye care utilization rates low additional education efforts increase perception need among urban minority populations may enhanced focused younger persons diabetes