Abstract
Purpose:
To examine the current provision and practice patterns of diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) in Haryana.
Methods:
This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey in Haryana. All ophthalmologists registered with Haryana Ophthalmological Society in Haryana state were invited to participate on an online survey comprised of twenty questions exploring diabetic retinopathy screening provision, and barriers to screening services in Haryana.
Results:
The response rate was 82% (153/186). The majority (84%) of the eye care providers practiced in urban areas. Most ophthalmologists (89%, 136/153), considered diabetic retinopathy screening by non-ophthalmic human resource inappropriate because of technical feasibility issues (62%) followed by non-availability of trained staff (33%). Only half (54%) of the respondents had access to written protocols for the diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy in their practice. Barriers to optimize diabetic retinopathy screening were lack of knowledge or awareness among patients (95.5%), perception that eye complications were unlikely (76%) and cost of care (30%).
Conclusion:
Diabetic retinopathy screening practices are mainly opportunistic and urban-centric, likely delivering inequitable services for the rural populations in the state. The inclusion of other personnel in screening will require stakeholder engagement from all health professions and changing the perceptions of ophthalmologists about task shifting.
To examine the current provision and practice patterns of diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) in Haryana.
Methods:
This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey in Haryana. All ophthalmologists registered with Haryana Ophthalmological Society in Haryana state were invited to participate on an online survey comprised of twenty questions exploring diabetic retinopathy screening provision, and barriers to screening services in Haryana.
Results:
The response rate was 82% (153/186). The majority (84%) of the eye care providers practiced in urban areas. Most ophthalmologists (89%, 136/153), considered diabetic retinopathy screening by non-ophthalmic human resource inappropriate because of technical feasibility issues (62%) followed by non-availability of trained staff (33%). Only half (54%) of the respondents had access to written protocols for the diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy in their practice. Barriers to optimize diabetic retinopathy screening were lack of knowledge or awareness among patients (95.5%), perception that eye complications were unlikely (76%) and cost of care (30%).
Conclusion:
Diabetic retinopathy screening practices are mainly opportunistic and urban-centric, likely delivering inequitable services for the rural populations in the state. The inclusion of other personnel in screening will require stakeholder engagement from all health professions and changing the perceptions of ophthalmologists about task shifting.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2057-2060 |
| Journal | Indian Journal of Ophthalmology |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01 Jun 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Diabetic retinopathy screening
- Diabetes Complications
- India
- Service Providers
Access to Document
- Perspectives on the provision of diabetic retinopathy screening: Survey of eye health care professionals in Haryana
© 2022 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction for non-commercial purposes, provided the author and source are cited and new creations are licensed under the identical terms.