Praveen K Nirmalan
Utilisation of eye care services in rural south India: the Aravind Comprehensive Eye Survey
Great Falls Clinic
aim determine utilisation eye care services rural population southern india aged 40 years oldermethods 5150 subjects aged 40 years older selected random cluster sampling technique three districts southern india underwent detailed ocular examinations vision impairment blindness ocular morbidityinformation regarding previous use eye care services collected population questionnaire administered trained social workers ocular examinationsresults 3476 727 5150 subjects examined required eye care examinations1827 355 people gave history previous eye examinations primarily general hospital n 1073 587increasing age education associated increased utilisation eye care servicesamong 3323 people never sought eye care 912 274 felt need eye examination soonly one third individuals vision impairment cataracts refractive errors glaucoma previously utilised servicesconclusions large proportion people rural population southern india require eye care currently utilising existing eye care servicesimproved strategies improve uptake services required reduce huge burden vision impairment india