Skip to main content

Free Eye Disease Screening Program Engaging High-Risk Adults

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 27, 2024.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 -- A novel free eye disease screening program is engaging adults at high risk for eye disease who are underusing eye care services, according to a study published online Aug. 22 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Eric Sherman, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined the reasons for underuse of eye care and whether a novel, free eye disease screening program is engaging adults at high risk for eye disease, who were underusing eye care services. A total of 1,171 Michigan Screening and Intervention for Glaucoma and Eye Health Through Telemedicine participants who were recruited from primary care clinics serving two low-income communities were included in the study.

The researchers found that the characteristics of participants reporting not having had an eye examination in two years or longer included age 65 years and older, self-reported diabetes, family history of glaucoma, self-reported glaucoma, and Black or African-American individual aged 50 years and older (23, 33, 25, 3, and 33 percent, respectively). In those who reported not having had an eye examination in two or more years, 21, 20, 6, and 1 percent screened positive for glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration, respectively. No insurance, no reason to go (no problem), and cost of eye examination were reported reasons for why participants had not had an eye examination (28, 22, and 16 percent, respectively).

"Increasing access and use of eye care will likely require large-scale efforts to increase access to and public awareness of affordable eye care," John S. Wittenborn, and David B. Rein, Ph.D., from NORC at the University of Chicago, write in an accompanying editorial.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Random Forest AI Model Superior for Inpatient Mortality Prognostication in Cirrhosis

THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- For inpatients with cirrhosis, a machine learning (ML) model using random forest (RF) analysis is superior for prediction of inpatient mortality...

Inflammation and Nutrition-Based Scores Tied to Prognosis of Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome

THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and systemic oxidative stress (SOS) score are independently associated with poorer prognosis of low-risk...

Few School Principals Report District-Mandated Mental Health Screening

THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Few school principals report district-mandated mental health screening in schools, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.