More Than Meets The Eye: Has the Eye Care Policy in Scotland Had Wider Health Benefits?

Heather Dickey, Patricia Norwood, Verity Watson, Alexandros Zangelidis

Research output: Working paperDiscussion paper

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Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, accounting for over a quarter of all deaths both worldwide and in the UK. This study examines the effect of eye examinations in diagnosing hypertension. Eye examinations and hypertension are correlated, since people diagnosed with high blood pressure are advised to have their eyes tested and also eye examinations may lead to the prognosis of potential problems related to blood pressure. The study uses the Scottish eye care policy introduced in 2006 as a quasiexperiment. The analysis is based on the British Household Panel Survey. Difference-indifference regression analysis was used in the multivariate analysis of the impact of free eye examinations on the diagnosis of hypertension. The eye care policy led to an increase
in both blood pressure examinations (around 7 percentage points) and in the reporting of high blood pressure (around 3 percentage points). This is evident only for the people from high-income households. The findings provide evidence of the wider health benefits and cost savings that an eye examination can achieve through the early detection of hypertension. The results also suggest that the disparate uptake of eye examinations across income groups not only widens inequalities in eye health, but may also widen inequalities in other health conditions.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationAberdeen
PublisherUniversity of Aberdeen Business School
Volume18
ISBN (Print)0143-4543
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Publication series

NameDiscussion Papers in Economics and Finance
PublisherCentre for European Labour Market Research

Keywords

  • Eye Examinations
  • Hypertension
  • Preventive Care
  • Natural experiment

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