Utilization of Eye Care Services Among Staff of a Tertiary Hospital

To determine the level of utilization of eye care services and to identify the barriers to uptake of eye care services among the staff in a hospital.

A cross-sectional study conducted at a university teaching hospital.

A total of 250 staff members were selected using a proportionate sampling among the segment of study population. Data were collected using semistructured questionnaires, including demographic data, awareness about eye clinic and the services rendered, facilities utilized by staff in receiving eye treatment, and reasons for not utilizing the hospital eye care services. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 15.

The majority (66%) of the staff were younger than 40 years. Around 229 staff members (91.6%) were aware of the clinic, whereas 222 (88.8%) were aware of at least 1 of the various services rendered. They received treatment from chemists (30.7%), private hospitals (26.3%), and optical shops (16.1%). The hospital eye clinic (11.8%) was the least chosen place to receive eye treatment. The reasons for nonutilization of eye care services were lack of finance (42.1%), poor staff attitude (23.7%), fear of damage to the eye (15.3%), high cost of treatment (9.7%), and ignorance of its existence (9.2%). Visual impairment was seen in 14 of the staff (5.6%), whereas blindness was seen in 1 (0.4%).

The level of utilization of eye care services in the hospital by the staff is poor and very low compared with other facilities, although the majority had previous history of eye complaints.