Search

India has done well in eye care delivery by recognizing visual impairment and blindness as a major medical challenge. Major contributions have come from ophthalmologists (mass cataract surgery in the early 1900s; major participation of non-government organizations), policy makers (National Program for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment 1976; systematic development under the World Bank assisted India Cataract Project, 1995-2002), and the industry (manufacturing of affordable surgical instruments and medicines). Although the country could boast of higher cataract surgical coverage and near-total elimination of trachoma, there is increasing prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and undetected glaucoma. India is in the crossroad of adherence to old successful models of service delivery and adoption of new innovative methods of teaching and training, manpower development and skill-based training, relevant medical research and product development. In the absence of these new approaches, the initial gains in eye care could not be furthered in India. A new approach, that will combine the best of the "old" tradition of empathy and the "new" technology of analytics, is required to imagine the future of eye care in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To assess the willingness to utilise follow-up eye care services among participants of community vision screenings in rural villages surrounding Chennai. Methods Vision screening participants aged ⩾40 years were selected by systematic sampling and were invited to respond to a pretested verbal survey with close-ended questions before undergoing screening. Results Two hundred and ninety-two people responded. Among the respondents, 50.3% reported experiencing an eye problem, and 53% of these individuals had never had an eye examination. Acceptance rate for eye surgery, medications, and eyeglasses among the respondents was 59.2%, 52.7% and 90.8%, respectively. These acceptances were not associated with sex, age, or employment; medication acceptance was inversely associated with literacy. Surgery acceptance and medication acceptance were associated with area of residence. Presence of another chronic disease was a predictor for surgery acceptance among respondents experiencing eye problems. Conclusions Maintaining consistent quality of services delivered is crucial for increasing uptake of existing eye care services. Educational interventions may increase eye care service usage by targeting all demographic subgroups of rural populations equally. Additional interventions should be offered to patients without previous exposure to the healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is among the fourth leading cause of blindness in India after cataract, refractive errors and glaucoma. Aim and Objective: To find out magnitude and determinants of blinding AMD among patients presenting at a tertiary level eye care centre in Dehradun with this condition. Material and methods: This was a study of eye patients above age 45 years seen from July 2010 to October 2013. After taking preliminary information, optometrist noted the best-corrected vision. Ophthalmologists examined eyes using a slit-lamp bio-microscope. AMD was confirmed by fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography. The age, sex, history of smoking, sun exposure, family history of AMD, diet, body mass index (BMI), history of hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes were noted. Results: Of the 14,698 patients seen, 221 had AMD (dry or wet) in at least one eye, the overall proportion of AMD being 1.50%. Of all AMD patients, 103 had blinding wet AMD (46.61%).Further analysis revealed that old age (71-80 years), male sex and history of hypertension, diabetes etc were significant risk factors of wet AMD. Of the 221 patients with AMD, nearly a third, that is 71 patients (32.13%) had visual acuity of better eye < 3/60, which was taken as criteria for blindness. Conclusions: AMD does not seem to be a problem of public health magnitude in the study area. Age, being male, history of hypertension, diabetes etc are significant risk factors for wet AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]