Veteran eye disease after eligibility reform: prevalence and characteristics

To determine the prevalence of eye disease in new "routine" eye patients at the Atlanta Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

Retrospective chart review of all new eye patients seen in the Atlanta Veteran Affairs Medical Center Comprehensive Eye Clinic over a 2-month period (January 1, 2008-February 28, 2008).

691 charts met inclusion criteria, with 33 charts excluded for insufficient documentation in the medical record. This left a total of 658 charts for the study.

Charts were reviewed for the following information: demographic data, vision, ocular diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes), and planned minor/laser/incisional surgical procedures. Additional data collected included whether glasses were prescribed and legal blindness.

Vision-threatening ocular diagnoses and need for minor/laser/incision surgery were tabulated.

There was a very high prevalence of potentially blinding disease in this population of new "routine" eye patients. About 63.4% of veterans were diagnosed with at least one ocular diagnosis other than refractive error; 25% had glaucoma or were suspects, 6% had cataracts, 5% had age-related macular degeneration, and 8% required a surgical procedure.

The rate of ocular pathology is high in the veteran population.