Purpose
To assess the association between insufficient follow-up and clinical parameters such as disease severity and medication use among glaucoma patients at a metropolitan county hospital.
Design
Cross-sectional study
Methods
Two-hundred and six patients with established glaucoma were recruited from San Francisco General Hospital. Subjects were classified based upon compliance with recommended follow-up examination intervals over the year preceding commencement of the study as determined by patient medical records. Glaucoma severity was determined based upon the American Academy of Ophthalmology Preferred Practice Patterns guidelines. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between adherence with follow-up visits and disease severity.
Results
After adjustment for the impact of potential confounding variables, subjects with severe glaucomatous disease were found to have been less adherent to their recommended follow-up than those patients with mild or moderate glaucomatous disease (adjusted OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.21–2.94; P = .01). Subjects who were on glaucoma medications were found to be less adherent to follow-up recommendations (adjusted OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.41–7.65, P = .01).
Conclusion
Subjects with poor follow-up adherence were significantly more likely to have severe glaucomatous disease suggesting that poor follow-up may contribute to disease worsening or, alternatively, those with more severe disease are less inclined to follow up at appropriate intervals.
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