Manhattan Vision Screening and Follow-up Study (NYC-SIGHT): a nested cross-sectional assessment of falls risk within a cluster randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the feasibility of using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) Falls Risk Tool Kit during community-based eye health screenings to assess falls risk of participants enrolled in the Manhattan Vision Screening and Follow-Up Study (NYC-SIGHT). METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a 5-year prospective, cluster-randomised clinical trial conducted in affordable housing developments in New York City in adults age 40 years and older. Prescreening questions determined whether participants were at risk of falling. STEADI tests classified participants at low, moderate or high risk of falling. Multivariate logistic regression determined odds of falls risk of all enrolled participants. RESULTS: 708 participants completed the eye health screening; 351 (49.6%) performed STEADI tests; mean age: 71.0 years (SD±11.3); 72.1% female; 53.6% Black, non-Hispanic, 37.6% Hispanic/Latino. Level of falls risk: 32 (9.1%) low, 188 (53.6%) moderate and 131 (37.3%) high. Individuals age >80 (OR 5.921, 95% CI (2.383 to 14.708), p=0.000), had blurry vision (OR 1.978, 95% CI (1.186 to 3.300), p=0.009), high blood pressure (OR 2.131, 95% CI (1.252 to 3.628), p=0.005), arthritis (OR 2.29876, 95% CI (1.362 to 3.875), p=0.002) or foot problems (OR 5.239, 95% CI (2.947 to 9.314), p=0.000) had significantly higher odds of falling, emergency department visits or hospitalisation due to falling. CONCLUSION: This study detected a significant amount of falls risk in an underserved population. The STEADI Falls Risk screening questions were easy for eye care providers to ask, were highly predictive of falls risk and may be adequate for referral to occupational health and/or physical therapy.

Short-term Detection of Fast Progressors in Glaucoma: The Fast Progression Assessment through Clustered Evaluation (Fast-PACE) Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of an intensive, clustered testing approach in identifying eyes with rapid glaucoma progression over 6 months in the Fast Progression Assessment through Clustered Evaluation (Fast-PACE) Study. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 125 eyes from 65 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) subjects. METHODS: Subjects underwent 2 sets of 5 weekly visits (clusters) separated by an average of 6 months and then were followed with single visits every 6 months for an overall mean follow-up of 25 months (mean of 17 tests). Each visit consisted of testing with standard automated perimetry (SAP) 24-2 and 10-2, and spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT). Progression was assessed using trend analyses of SAP mean deviation (MD) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Generalized estimating equations were applied to adjust for correlations between eyes for confidence interval (CI) estimation and hypothesis testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic accuracy of the 6-month clustering period to identify progression detected during the overall follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 19 of 125 eyes (15%, CI, 9%-24%) progressed based on SAP 24-2 MD over the 6-month clustering period. A total of 14 eyes (11%, CI, 6%-20%) progressed on SAP 10-2 MD, and 16 eyes (13%, CI, 8%-21%) progressed by RNFL thickness, with 30 of 125 eyes (24%, CI, 16%-34%) progressing by function, structure, or both. Of the 35 eyes progressing during the overall follow-up, 25 had progressed during the 6-month clustering period, for a sensitivity of 71% (CI, 53%-85%). Of the 90 eyes that did not progress during the overall follow-up, 85 also did not progress during the 6-month period, for a specificity of 94% (CI, 88%-98%). Of the 14 eyes considered fast progressors by SAP 24-2, SAP 10-2, or SD-OCT during the overall follow-up, 13 were identified as progressing during the 6-month cluster period, for a sensitivity of 93% (CI, 66%-100%) for identifying fast progression with a specificity of 85% (CI, 77%-90%). CONCLUSIONS: Clustered testing in the Fast-PACE Study detected fast-progressing glaucoma eyes over 6 months. The methodology could be applied in clinical trials investigating interventions to slow glaucoma progression and may be of value for short-term assessment of high-risk subjects. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Relationship between Claims-Based Frailty Index and Eye Care Utilization among Medicare Beneficiaries with Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To determine differences in eye care utilization by frailty levels among Medicare beneficiaries with glaucoma. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries over 65 years of age with glaucoma, identified using International Classification of Diseases codes before July 1, 2014. METHODS: By using a validated claims-based frailty index (range, 0-1), beneficiaries were classified as nonfrail/prefrail (0-0.19), mildly frail (0.20-0.29), and moderate-to-severely frail (≥ 0.30). Negative binomial regression analyses were used to estimate incident rate ratios (IRRs) of eye care utilization by frailty levels between July 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Current Procedural Terminology codes for eye examinations and eye care-related office visits; eye care-related inpatient and emergency department (ED) encounters; eye care-related nursing facility and home-visit encounters; visual field (VF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) OCT tests; and selective laser trabeculoplasties (SLTs) and glaucoma surgeries. RESULTS: Among 76 260 Medicare beneficiaries with glaucoma, the mean age was 78.9 years (standard deviation, 7.8), female beneficiaries constituted 60.5%, and 78.7% of beneficiaries self-identified as non-Hispanic White. According to a claims-based frailty index, 79.5% of beneficiaries were nonfrail/prefrail, 17.1% were mildly frail, and 3.4% were moderate-to-severely frail. Moderate-to-severely frail beneficiaries were less likely than nonfrail/prefrail beneficiaries to have outpatient encounters (IRR, 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.88); VF tests (IRR, 0.64, 95% CI, 0.60-0.67); RNFL OCT tests (IRR, 0.77, 95% CI, 0.73-0.81); SLT (IRR, 0.74, 95% CI, 0.60-0.92); and glaucoma surgery (IRR, 0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.99), after adjusting for age, gender, glaucoma severity, race, and socioeconomic status. Compared with nonfrail/prefrail beneficiaries, moderate-to-severely frail beneficiaries had higher rates of inpatient/ED encounters (IRR, 5.03, 95% CI, 2.36-10.71) and nursing facility/home-visit encounters (IRR, 34.89, 95% CI, 14.82-82.13). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with nonfrail/prefrail Medicare beneficiaries with glaucoma, beneficiaries with moderate-to-severe frailty had lower rates of eye care utilization in the outpatient setting and higher rates of utilization in acute care settings. This suggests that frail patients may receive less disease monitoring and fewer interventions for their glaucoma management. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Manhattan Vision Screening and Follow-up Study (NYC-SIGHT): Baseline Results and Costs of a Cluster-Randomized Trial.

PURPOSE: To describe the 15-month baseline results and costs of the Manhattan Vision Screening and Follow-up Study, which aims to investigate whether innovative community-based eye health screening can improve early detection and management of glaucoma and other eye diseases among high-risk populations. DESIGN: Five-year prospective, cluster-randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Individuals aged 40+ years were recruited from public housing buildings in New York City for an eye health screening (visual acuity (VA) with correction, intraocular pressure measurements (IOP), and fundus photography). Participants with VA 20/40 or worse, IOP 23-29 mm Hg, or an unreadable fundus image failed the screening and were scheduled for an optometric examination at the same location; those with an abnormal image were referred to ophthalmology. A cost analysis was conducted alongside the study. RESULTS: A total of 708 participants were screened; mean age 68.6±11.9 years, female (65.1%), African American (51.8%) and Hispanic (42%). 78.4% (n = 555) failed the eye health screening; 35% (n= 250) had an abnormal image and were also referred to ophthalmology. 308 participants attended the optometric exam; 218 were referred to ophthalmology. Overall, 66.1% were referred to ophthalmology. The cost per participant to deliver the eye health screening and optometric examination was $180.88. The cost per case of eye disease detected was $273.64. CONCLUSIONS: This innovative study in public housing developments targeted high-risk populations, provided access to eye-care, and improved early detection of ocular diseases in New York City. The study has identified strategies to overcoming barriers to eye care to reduce eye health disparities.

Toward Universal Eye Health Coverage-Key Outcomes of the World Health Organization Package of Eye Care Interventions: A Systematic Review.

Importance: Despite persistent inequalities in access to eye care services globally, guidance on a set of recommended, evidence-based eye care interventions to support country health care planning has not been available. To overcome this barrier, the World Health Organization (WHO) Package of Eye Care Interventions (PECI) has been developed. Objective: To describe the key outcomes of the PECI development. Evidence Review: A standardized stepwise approach that included the following stages: (1) selection of priority eye conditions by an expert panel after reviewing epidemiological evidence and health facility data; (2) identification of interventions and related evidence for the selected eye conditions from a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs); stage 2 included a systematic literature search, screening of title and abstracts (excluding articles that were not relevant CPGs), full-text review to assess disclosure of conflicts of interest and affiliations, quality appraisal, and data extraction; (3) expert review of the evidence extracted in stage 2, identification of missed interventions, and agreement on the inclusion of essential interventions suitable for implementation in low- and middle-income resource settings; and (4) peer review. Findings: Fifteen priority eye conditions were chosen. The literature search identified 3601 articles. Of these, 469 passed title and abstract screening, 151 passed full-text screening, 98 passed quality appraisal, and 87 were selected for data extraction. Little evidence (≤1 CPG identified) was available for pterygium, keratoconus, congenital eyelid disorders, vision rehabilitation, myopic macular degeneration, ptosis, entropion, and ectropion. In stage 3, domain-specific expert groups voted to include 135 interventions (57%) of a potential 235 interventions collated from stage 2. After synthesis across all interventions and eye conditions, 64 interventions (13 health promotion and education, 6 screening and prevention, 38 treatment, and 7 rehabilitation) were included in the PECI. Conclusions and Relevance: This systematic review of CPGs for priority eye conditions, followed by an expert consensus procedure, identified 64 essential, evidence-based, eye care interventions that are required to achieve universal eye health coverage. The review identified some important gaps, including a paucity of high-quality, English-language CPGs, for several eye diseases and a dearth of evidence-based recommendations on eye health promotion and prevention within existing CPGs.

Outcomes and Revenue Generation of a Community-based Screening at a Center in the United States: The SToP Glaucoma Program.

PRCIS: Of 611 individuals seen at referral clinic visits following community screenings, 76% were diagnosed with ≤1 eye condition needing treatment, generating a total of $213,110 in collections for the institution over 2.5 years. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes and revenue generation of community-based eye screenings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Individuals aged 50 years and above screened at community sites in Baltimore, MD, with abnormal ophthalmic findings were referred for one free-of-charge definitive eye examination at the Wilmer Eye Institute. Diagnoses, treatment, and billing information were abstracted from electronic medical records of patients subsequently seen at Wilmer from January 1, 2016, to July 31, 2018. RESULTS: A total of 611 individuals attended 3696 encounters at Wilmer during this time period. Most patients were female (60.3%) and African American (83.7%). At the screening event, 82.9% reported difficulty seeing when not wearing corrective eyewear, although only 49.8% reported having visited an eye doctor within the last 2 years. The majority (60.2%) reported having Medicare/Medicaid coverage, and 8.1% reported being uninsured. At the definitive eye examination after the screening, 75.5% of patients were diagnosed with ≥1 eye condition, most commonly cataract (30.3%), suspicion of glaucoma (24.9%), manifest glaucoma (11.9%), diabetic retinopathy (5.4%), and ocular hypertension (2.6%). Overall, 430 (70.4%) individuals required treatment including surgery (n=106), intravitreal injections (n=14), laser procedures (n=9), and medications (n=48). A total of $213,110 was collected for visits and procedures after the initial referral visit during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: A large community-based vision screening program in Baltimore was able to identify ocular conditions requiring treatment in underserved older adults and connect them to eyecare. Our findings also highlight that this model simultaneously generates new revenue streams for the institution organizing the community screenings.

Lessons Learned From School-Based Delivery of Vision Care in Baltimore, Maryland.

ABSTRACT: In an effort to address health care disparities in pediatric eye care, school-based vision programs have been established. These programs, while not universally available, have been established at individual schools or across school districts in at least 20 states in the United States (US). They play a critical role for students who are not accessing eye care, especially in disadvantaged communities. In the US, school-based vision programs often provide vision screenings, eye exams, and eyeglasses directly in the school setting. The rationale for involving schools in vision care delivery is the recognition of the inter-relatedness between health and education, including how poor vision can impact learning. Vision for Baltimore is a citywide school-based vision program that provides vision care for all Baltimore City Public Schools elementary and middle school students (age range 4 to 16 years). The goal of this paper is to summarize lessons learned from our work on clinical outcomes from screenings and eye exams, the academic impact of Vision for Baltimore, and qualitative work about consent challenges and stakeholder engagement. While school-based vision programs may vary in operations, we hope the lessons learned through our work may help demonstrate the transformative impact on vision and learning, as well as the importance of addressing stakeholder needs to maximize impact and ensure program sustainability.

Racial and Socioeconomic Differences in Eye Care Utilization among Medicare Beneficiaries with Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: Evaluate differences in eye care utilization among patients with glaucoma by race and socioeconomic status (SES). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Representative 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged > 65 years with continuous part A/B enrollment between January 1, 2014, and July 1, 2014, at least 1 diagnosis code for glaucoma within that period, and a glaucoma diagnosis in the Chronic Conditions Warehouse before January 1, 2014. METHODS: The following race/ethnicity categories were defined in our cohort: non-Hispanic White, Black/African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander. Low SES was defined as having 2 or more enrollment-based low-income indicators (dual eligibility for Medicare/Medicaid, Part D limited income subsidies, and eligibility for Part A and B State buy-in). Negative binomial regression analyses were carried out to compare relative rate ratios (RRs) of eye care utilization among racial groups stratified by low and non-low SES. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measured from July 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016: eye examinations and eye care-related office visits; eye care-related inpatient and emergency department (ED) encounters; eye care-related nursing home and home-visit encounters; visual field and retinal nerve fiber OCT tests; glaucoma lasers and surgeries. RESULTS: Among 78 526 participants with glaucoma, mean age was 79.1 years (standard deviation, 7.9 years), 60.9% were female, 78.4% were non-Hispanic White, and 13.8% met enrollment-based criteria for low-SES. Compared with White beneficiaries, Blacks had lower counts of outpatient visits (RR, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.93), visual field (VF) tests (RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.94), but more inpatient/ED encounters (RR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.55-3.78) and surgeries (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03-1.27). Hispanics had fewer outpatient visits (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) OCT tests (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.86-0.93), but more inpatient/ED encounters (RR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.18-4.57) and selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.11-1.42) versus non-Hispanic Whites. In the non-low SES group, Black versus White disparities persisted in outpatient visits (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.92-0.95), VF (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.98), RNFL OCT (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.78-0.83), and inpatient/ED encounters (RR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.55-4.26). CONCLUSIONS: Disparities were found in eye care utilization among Black and Hispanic patients with glaucoma. These differences persisted among Blacks after stratification by SES, suggesting that systemic racism may be an independent driver in this population.

Teacher and school staff perspectives on their role in school-based vision programs.

OBJECTIVE: School-based vision programs (SBVPs) are one approach to increase access to vision care by providing vision screenings, eye examinations, and eyeglasses directly in schools. Few studies report on the perspectives of teachers and staff, who are important stakeholders, on SBVPs. We examined teacher and staff perspectives on their involvement in SBVPs. DESIGN: Qualitative study using focus groups. PARTICIPANTS: Teachers and staff at Baltimore and Chicago public schools served by SBVPs between 2016 and 2018. METHODS: We conducted 21 semistructured focus groups with 117 teachers and staff in 10 Baltimore and 11 Chicago public preK-12 schools that participated in SBVPs. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants identified 2 main themes regarding teacher and staff involvement in SBVPs: (i) program outreach, including using multiple communication modalities to engage parents, explaining program details to families, and helping with program consent form return and (ii) promoting vision health, including identifying vision problems in the classroom, encouraging eyeglasses wear, and supporting eyeglasses maintenance. Participants also discussed limitations in capacity to partake in these activities. CONCLUSION: Teachers interact with parents and students throughout the SBVP process, undertaking important roles in outreach and health promotion to ensure uptake of SBVP services. SBVPs and other school-based health programs should explore strategies to support teachers in the roles they fill to optimize program impact.

Parental Trust in School-Based Health Care: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Health care delivery in schools is a frequently adopted approach to reduce health care inequalities. Lack of parental trust has been identified as impacting participation in school-based health care programs (SBHPs). The aim of our systematic review is to outline themes related to parental trust in SBHPs. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, ERIC, PsycInfo, and Web of Science for articles published between 1969 and 2019. Eligible studies (1) were peer-reviewed primary research articles; (2) were school-based health interventions or screening programs; (3) included parental trust data; and (4) were carried out on schoolchildren from pre-K to grade 12. Study location, data collection date, number of participants, demographics, intervention type, study aim and methodology, and all trust themes mentioned, were extracted. Studies were critically appraised using the CASP checklist for qualitative research. RESULTS: We identified 9 themes related to parental trust in SBHPs: (1) safety; (2) effectiveness; (3) health professionals' training and credentials; (4) communication; (5) confidentiality; (6) providers; (7) government, authorities, and health service; (8) the pharmaceutical industry; and (9) research and data sharing. CONCLUSIONS: The themes identified provide a framework for examining trust in SBHPs, and may guide the development of interventions to increase trust and engagement in SBHPs.

Investigation of the Accuracy of a Low-Cost, Portable Autorefractor to Provide Well-Tolerated Eyeglass Prescriptions: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

PURPOSE: To compare patient preferences for eyeglasses prescribed using a low-cost, portable wavefront autorefractor versus standard subjective refraction (SR). DESIGN: Randomized, cross-over clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 18 to 40 years presenting with refractive errors (REs) to a tertiary eye hospital in Southern India. METHODS: Participants underwent SR followed by autorefraction (AR) using the monocular version of the QuickSee device (PlenOptika Inc). An independent optician, masked to the refraction approach, prepared eyeglasses based on each refraction approach. Participants (masked to refraction source) were randomly assigned to use SR- or AR-based eyeglasses first, followed by the other pair, for 1 week each. At the end of each week, participants had their vision checked and were interviewed about their experience with the eyeglasses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients preferring eyeglasses were chosen using AR and SR. RESULTS: The 400 participants enrolled between March 26, 2018, and August 2, 2019, had a mean (standard deviation) age of 28.4 (6.6) years, and 68.8% were women. There was a strong correlation between spherical equivalents using SR and AR (r = 0.97, P < 0.001) with a mean difference of -0.07 diopters (D) (95% limits of agreement [LoA], -0.68 to 0.83). Of the 301 patients (75.2%) who completed both follow-up visits, 50.5% (n = 152) and 49.5% (n = 149) preferred glasses prescribed using SR and AR, respectively (95% CI, 45.7-56.3; P = 0.86). There were no differences in demographic or vision characteristics between participants with different preferences (P > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a strong agreement between the prescriptions from SR and AR, and eyeglasses prescribed using SR and AR were equally preferred by patients. Wider use of prescribing based on AR alone in resource-limited settings is supported by these findings.

Impact of Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Diabetic Retinopathy Severity on Poor Ophthalmic Follow-Up in a Rural Vermont and New York Population.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage and diabetic retinopathy severity on follow-up for vision care among people with diabetes mellitus (DM) residing in rural Vermont and northern New York State. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of people with DM who visited our academic eye clinic at least once between October 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016, was done. Of 1,466 unique patient visits, 500 were chosen for full chart review by simple random sampling. DM follow-up within 1 year was recommended for 331 adults. Data about prescribed and actual follow-up intervals were extracted. Regression models were used to identify factors associated with poor attendance at follow-up appointments. RESULTS: Sixty-eight [20.5%] patients had poor follow-up, defined as no ophthalmology visit within double the prescribed interval. Of these, 57 were not seen in follow-up by the end of study observation. Poor follow-up was greatest among socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, as defined by Medicaid enrollment (odds ratio [OR], 1.95; 95% CI, 1.07-3.56) in comparison to non-disadvantaged patients. Follow-up was better among those with moderate or worse diabetic retinopathy (OR, 0.38 95% CI, 0.20-0.70), and those with macular edema (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.057-0.62). CONCLUSION: Medicaid insurance and better diabetic retinopathy status were associated with worse follow-up among our predominantly rural population of patients. Patients who did not follow-up within double the recommended interval were unlikely to follow-up at all. Interventions are needed to target those at highest risk for poor follow-up.

Characteristics of Open Globe Injuries in the United States From 2006 to 2014.

Importance: Open globe injuries can lead to substantial visual morbidity and lifelong sequelae. Interventions to reduce the burden of open globe injuries in the United States require a better understanding of these injuries through well-designed epidemiologic investigations. Objective: To examine the incidence, common injury mechanisms, and economic burden of open globe injuries in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, cross-sectional study of US nationwide emergency department (ED) data assessed all ED visits of patients with a primary diagnosis of open globe injury in the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2014. Data analysis was performed from August 29, 2018, to November 11, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual incidence of open globe injuries by age, sex, mechanism of injury, and concomitant diagnosis, as well as median charges associated with open globe injuries and variables associated with hospitalization. Results: A total of 124 989 ED visits for open globe injuries were assessed, with an incidence of 4.49 per 100 000 population in the United States from 2006 to 2014 (mean [SD] age of study participants, 37.7 [22.5] years; 94 078 [75.3%] male). The incidence was highest in 2006 (5.88 per 100 000 population) and decreased by 0.3% per month between 2006 and 2014 (incidence rate ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-0.99; P < .001). Open globe injuries occurred in 37 060 individuals (30.6%) of low socioeconomic status. The most common injury mechanism was being struck by or against an object or person (40 119 of all 124 989 injury mechanisms [32.1%]). Open globe injuries associated with falls increased 6.6% between 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 (95% CI, 1.04-1.08; P < .001) and were the most common injury mechanism in individuals older than 70 years. The total cost associated with open globe injuries was $793 million. The cost of ED visits increased from $865 during 2006-2010 to $1557 during 2011-2015. Inpatient costs similarly increased from $21 527 during 2006-2010 to $30 243 during 2011-2015. Conclusions and Relevance: The incidence of open globe injuries in the United States decreased from 2006 to 2014. Although the data are from 5 to 13 years ago, these findings appear to provide valuable information for targeting preventive measures toward individuals at highest risk; targeting young men with lower socioeconomic status and individuals 70 years or older at an increased risk of falls may help lower the incidence of open globe injuries.

Glaucoma screening: where are we and where do we need to go?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Current recommendations for glaucoma screening are decidedly neutral. No studies have yet documented improved long-term outcomes for individuals who undergo glaucoma screening versus those who do not. Given the long duration that would be required to detect a benefit, future studies that may answer this question definitively are unlikely. Nevertheless, advances in artificial intelligence and telemedicine will lead to more effective screening at lower cost. With these new technologies, additional research is needed to determine the costs and benefits of screening for glaucoma. RECENT FINDINGS: Using optic disc photographs and/or optical coherence tomography, deep learning systems appear capable of diagnosing glaucoma more accurately than human graders. Eliminating the need for expert graders along with better technologies for remote imaging of the ocular fundus will allow for less expensive screening, which could enable screening of individuals with otherwise limited healthcare access. In India and China, where most glaucoma remains undiagnosed, glaucoma screening was recently found to be cost-effective. SUMMARY: Recent advances in artificial intelligence and telemedicine have the potential to increase the accuracy, reduce the costs, and extend the reach of screening. Further research into implementing these technologies in glaucoma screening is required.

Understanding diagnostic disagreement in angle closure assessment between anterior segment optical coherence tomography and gonioscopy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although being a more objective tool for assessment and follow-up of angle closure, reliability studies have reported a moderate diagnostic performance for anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) technologies when comparing with gonioscopy as the reference standard. We aim to determine factors associated with diagnostic disagreement in angle closure when assessed by anterior segment swept source OCT (SS-OCT, CASIA SS-1000; Tomey, Nagoya, Japan) and gonioscopy. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. A total of 2027 phakic subjects aged ≥50 years, with no relevant previous ophthalmic history, were consecutively recruited from a community polyclinic in Singapore. Gonioscopy and SS-OCT (128 radial scans) for the entire circumference of the angle were performed for each subject. A two-quadrant closed gonioscopic definition was used. On SS-OCT images, angle closure was defined as iridotrabecular contact (ITC) to the extent of ≥35%, ≥50% and ≥75% of the circumferential angle. Diagnostic disagreements between both methods, that is, false positives or overcalls and false negatives or undercalls were defined, respectively, as gonioscopic open/closed angles inversely assessed as closed/open by SS-OCT. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-two (14.7%) resulted in overcall results (false positives) when ≥50% of the angle circumference was closed using SS-OCT. These eyes had significantly wider (anterior chamber width, 11.7 vs 11.6 mm, p<0.001) and deeper (anterior chamber depth (ACD), 2.4 vs 2.2 mm, p<0.001) anterior chambers than eyes assessed by both methods as closed (true positives). Deeper ACD (OR 9.31) and lower lens vault (LV) (OR 0.04) were significantly associated with a false positive diagnosis in the multivariate analysis. Most of these cases had short (52.6%) or irregular (39%) ITC in SS-OCT images. CONCLUSIONS: We found that anterior chamber dimensions, determined by ACD and LV, were factors significantly associated with diagnostic disagreement between anterior segment SS-OCT and gonioscopy in angle closure assessment.

Surgical Outcomes and Quality Assessment of Trabeculectomy: Leveraging Electronic Health Records for Clinical Data Visualization.

PRéCIS:: This electronic medical record-based study demonstrates 1 approach to monitor clinical outcomes for individual physicians performing trabeculectomy. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an interactive data visualization platform for evaluating trabeculectomy outcomes and monitoring clinical care quality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective electronic health record study in a glaucoma division of an academic medical center. We included 633 patients who underwent trabeculectomy between July 2016 and December 2018. Data were collected for intraocular pressure (IOP), vision loss, number of follow-up visits, and return to the operating room within the initial 3 months. Regression analyses were used to assess factors associated with these study outcomes. Risk of IOP ≤5 mm Hg was assessed using survival analysis. An interactive data visualization platform was created. RESULTS: A total of 429 trabeculectomy and 204 combined surgeries were analyzed, with preoperative IOP of 21.9±9.4 and 19.4±6.9 mm Hg, respectively. Mean pressure declined by 53% and 41% (P=0.001) by 3 months. Risk of pressure ≤5 mm Hg was higher in white patients and those who underwent trabeculectomy alone. At 3 months, patients on average had 5 clinic visits; 5.5% required additional surgical procedures, and 18% experienced loss of at least 3 lines of best-recorded (not best-corrected) vision. Returning to the operating room was significantly associated with an increased number of clinic visits (coefficient=3.94) and higher odds of vision loss (odds ratio=11.12). CONCLUSIONS: Over the initial 3 months after trabeculectomy, additional surgeries are rare, while a significant proportion of patients lost vision, and this was strongly associated with a need to return to the operating room. Interactive electronic health record data visualization can be a useful tool for monitoring clinical outcomes.

Assessment of Circumferential Angle Closure with Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography: a Community Based Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT, CASIA SS-1000; Tomey Corporation, Nagoya, Japan) for angle closure detection, in comparison with gonioscopy, in a community setting. DESIGN: Reliability analysis. METHODS: A total of 2027 phakic subjects aged ≥50 years, with no previous history of glaucoma, laser (including peripheral iridotomy), intraocular surgery, or ocular trauma, were consecutively recruited from a community polyclinic in Singapore. Gonioscopy was performed by a single trained ophthalmologist. SS-OCT angle scans, which obtain radial scans for the entire circumference of the angle, were analyzed by a single examiner, masked to the subject's clinical details. On SS-OCT images, angle closure was defined as contact between the iris and any part of the angle wall anterior to the scleral spur. Different cutoff values of the degree of circumferential angle closure (≥35%, ≥50%, and ≥75%) were taken for analysis to assess SS-OCT performance in detecting angle closure. RESULTS: A total of 1857 subjects (91.6%) were included in the final analysis after excluding poor-quality SS-OCT scans. Almost 90% of the subjects were Chinese, with a mean age of 61.8 ± 6.7 years, and more than half were women (63.5%). The overall AUC of SS-OCT manual grading against gonioscopy was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.88). The prevalence of angle closure on SS-OCT was 26.1% for the ≥35% definition, with an area under the curve of 0.80 (0.77-0.84), sensitivity of 82.5% (75.3%-88.4%), and specificity of 78.5% (76.5%-80.4%). The first-order agreement coefficient statistics for the 2-quadrant gonioscopic definition of angle-closure with corresponding ≥35%, ≥50%, and ≥75% angle closure definitions for SS-OCT were good at 0.89 (0.83-0.93), 0.88 (0.842-0.93), and 0.88 (0.831-0.99), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this large community-based study, SS-OCT exhibited moderate performance for angle closure detection compared to gonioscopy as the reference standard.

Comparison of Access to Eye Care Appointments Between Patients With Medicaid and Those With Private Health Care Insurance.

Importance: Although low-income populations have more eye problems, whether they face greater difficulty obtaining eye care appointments is unknown. Objective: To compare rates of obtaining eye care appointments and appointment wait times for those with Medicaid vs those with private insurance. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this prospective, cohort study conducted from January 1, 2017, to July 1, 2017, researchers made telephone calls to a randomly selected sample of vision care professionals in Michigan and Maryland stratified by neighborhood (urban vs rural) and professional type (ophthalmologist vs optometrist) to request the first available appointment. Appointments were sought for an adult needing a diabetic eye examination and a child requesting a routine eye examination for a failed vision screening. Researchers called each practice twice, once requesting an appointment for a patient with Medicaid and the other time for a patient with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) insurance, and asked whether the insurance was accepted and, if so, when the earliest available appointment could be scheduled. Main Outcomes and Measures: Rate of successfully made appointments and mean wait time for the first available appointment. Results: A total of 603 telephone calls were made to 330 eye care professionals (414 calls [68.7%] to male and 189 calls [31.3%] to female eye care professionals). The sample consisted of ophthalmologists (303 [50.2%]) and optometrists (300 [49.8%]) located in Maryland (322 [53.4%]) and Michigan (281 [46.6%]). The rates of successfully obtaining appointments among callers were 61.5% (95% CI, 56.0%-67.0%) for adults with Medicaid and 79.3% (95% CI, 74.7%-83.9%) for adults with BCBS (P < .001) and 45.4% (95% CI, 39.8%-51.0%) for children with Medicaid and 62.5% (95% CI, 57.1%-68.0%) for children with BCBS (P < .001). Mean wait time did not vary significantly between the BCBS and Medicaid groups for both adults and children. Adults with Medicaid had significantly decreased odds of receiving an appointment compared with those with BCBS (odds ratio [OR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.28-0.59; P < .001) but had increased odds of obtaining an appointment if they were located in Michigan vs Maryland (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.49-3.87; P < .001) or with an optometrist vs an ophthalmologist (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.31-2.79; P < .001). Children with Medicaid had significantly decreased odds of receiving an appointment compared with those with BCBS (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.28-0.60; P < .001) but had increased odds of obtaining an appointment if they were located in Michigan vs Maryland (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.04-2.73; P = .03) or with an optometrist vs an ophthalmologist (OR, 8.00; 95% CI, 5.37-11.90; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Callers were less successful in trying to obtain eye care appointments with Medicaid than with BCBS, suggesting a disparity in access to eye care based on insurance status, although confounding factors may have contributed to this finding. Improving access to eye care professionals for those with Medicaid may improve health outcomes and decrease health care spending in the long term.