Sources of patient knowledge and financing of cataract surgery in rural China: the Sanrao Study of Cataract Outcomes and Up-Take of Services (SCOUTS), Report 6

Abstract

Strategies to increase uptake of cataract surgery in rural China may benefit from enhancing word-of-mouth advertising (such as with pseudophakic motivators), using television advertising where affordable, and micro-credit or other programmes to enable patients to pay their own fees, thus increasing uptake of second-eye surgery.

Cataract surgical outcomes, visual function and quality of life in four rural districts in Vietnam

“…Besides self‐reported VF and QOL, there are other indices of patient satisfaction that are of importance to cataract surgical programmes. Recent evidence suggests that positive word of mouth advertising is of particular importance in patients' willingness to accept surgical services in rural Asia 20 . In the current study, 90% of patients were not only satisfied with their own surgery, but would recommend it to others.…”

“…Recent evidence suggests that positive word of mouth advertising is of particular importance in patients' willingness to accept surgical services in rural Asia. 20 In the current study, 90% of patients were not only satisfied with their own surgery, but would recommend it to others. Given the relatively high proportion of persons with poor postoperative results, the high levels of self-reported satisfaction may reflect poor preoperative vision (which we were unable to assess).…”

Impact of posterior subcapsular opacification on vision and visual function among subjects undergoing cataract surgery in rural China: Study of Cataract Outcomes and Up-Take of Services (SCOUTS) in the Caring is Hip Project, Report 5

“…Considering actual uptake of services, Nd:YAG capsulotomy improved VA to ⩾6/18 in 9% (3/35) of eyes and refraction in 26% (9/35) of eyes with presenting VA <6/18. Despite the high uptake of YAG and the previously reported low uptake of refractive services28 in the SCOUTS cohort, the effective yield in terms of the proportion of patients with poor presenting vision whose VA was improved with refraction was higher than that for YAG capsulotomy.…”

Barriers for Poor Cataract Surgery Uptake among Patients with Operable Cataract in a Program of Outreach Screening and Low-cost Surgery in Rural China

“…The social set-up in rural China is such that the elderly are dependent on the younger generation for fulfillment of their financial needs. Other studies 22,28 have also found that elderly cataract patients are frequently dependent on their family to provide full or partial support for surgery in rural China. Therefore, it is important to educate the whole family about the visual needs of the elderly with an emphasis on the need for family support during any future cataract screening programs.…”