Outreach critical to finding underserved patients with cataracts
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SAN FRANCISCO — Reaching underserved patients who might need cataract surgery takes a lot of teamwork, according to a speaker at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
“Ninety percent of the causes of vision loss are preventable,” Lucia Silva, MD, said. “Cataracts are almost 100 million cases that we have of vision loss.”
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In Guatemala, where Silva practices, more than 2 million people have visual impairment, the highest prevalence in the region. Silva attributed the prevalence to several factors, including high rates of poverty, a large rural population and an inadequate supply of ophthalmologists.
For cataracts in particular, the main barriers to care for patients are physical access to eye health clinics and affordable visual health services, as well as a lack of awareness and education on the importance of visual health. Visual health institutions experience poor government support and difficulties in accessing the most vulnerable communities, Silva said.
Silva said there are several strategies in vision centers and clinics/hospitals to help expand access and reach patients who would be otherwise difficult to connect with.
On World Sight Day, there is a large outreach camp to provide free access to detect cataracts in patients with lower income. In addition, telemedicine is used in vision centers to conduct anterior and posterior eye exams on patients with vision issues. From there, patients can be sent to local vision centers or obtain referral to hospitals depending on their need.
In addition, community visual health promoters go home to home to evaluate patients and detect visual impairments. These promotors can refer patients to the local vision center.
Silva’s clinic, the Visualiza Eye Clinic, has had a large expansion in cataract surgeries over the last 20 years. In 2002, the clinic performed fewer than 800 procedures, but in 2022, it performed 4,800.
“This is something we have to do as a team,” Silva said. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
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Silva L. Cataract breakthroughs and unfinished agenda. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Nov. 3-6, 2023; San Francisco.
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