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Glaucoma patients cite long wait times, communications problems as barriers to care

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SAN FRANCISCO — Long wait times and communication issues were leading reasons for glaucoma patients to miss follow-up care in a multi-ethnic urban clinic, according to a study reported at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.

In the first study of its kind performed in the U.S., Bradford W. Lee, MD, and colleagues asked patients at an urban clinic in San Francisco about their reasons for missing follow-up appointments. Study data showed that of 152 patients surveyed, 75% cited long wait times as a major barrier to seeking follow-up care. Also, despite the availability of medical interpreting services, 37% of Latino patients and 32% of Asian patients said language- and interpreter-related problems were major barriers to follow-up.

"Many eye care professionals assume these patients skip appointments because of financial problems, insurance issues or lack of understanding of the need for follow-up care," Dr. Lee said. "But our results show other factors are more important, and that barriers vary somewhat with patient ethnicity."