| Title: |
COUNTY-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF EYE EXAM ACCESS AND UTILIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES. |
| Authors: |
Bhatnagar, Anshul1 (AUTHOR) Anshul.Bhatnagar@bcm.edu, Skrehot, Henry1 (AUTHOR), Ahmed, Masih2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Ophthalmic Epidemiology. Apr2024, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p152-158. 7p. |
| Subject Terms: |
*EYE examination, *MEDICARE, *MEDICARE beneficiaries, *SOCIOECONOMIC disparities in health, *INCOME |
| Geographic Terms: |
UNITED States |
| Abstract: |
The eye exam is a critical tool for the prevention, screening, and diagnosis of ocular and systemic conditions. In this study, we characterize county-level variation in eye exam access and utilization for Medicare patients in the United States. This nationwide study uses the Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners – by Provider and Service dataset. We included all ophthalmologists and optometrists who performed eye exams on Medicare beneficiaries within a United States county in 2019. For every county where exams were performed, we calculated the number of practicing vision testing providers, percentage of providers classified as ophthalmologists, and the number of exams per 100 Medicare beneficiaries. Multiple linear regression was used to characterize associations between these variables and county characteristics, including measures of poverty, education, and income. In 2019, 28937,540 eye exams were performed by 46,000 providers in 2,291 U.S. counties. In the median county, 34.9 eye exams were provided per 100 Medicare beneficiaries. The average county had 20.1 exam providers, 16.5% of whom were ophthalmologists. There were a median 6.6 eye exam providers for every 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the average county. The average provider performed 517.8 exams. Regression showed counties with lower median household incomes, higher poverty rates, or fewer high-school graduates had fewer eye exam providers per 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries and fewer eye exams performed per 100 Medicare beneficiaries. We find significant county-level variation in eye exam utilization and provider availability. This reflects broader, well-recognized trends in socioeconomic health disparities in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|
Copyright of Ophthalmic Epidemiology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Academic Search Complete |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests. |
Login for full access.
|
