Task sharing: situation analysis about capacity and resources for management of diabetic retinopathy in Pakistan

To assess the capacity and resources of eye care facilities, using the WHO Health Systems Framework, to manage diabetic retinopathy (DR) through task sharing.

Using purposive sampling, four participants (administrators) from four selected hospitals in two provinces in Pakistan were recruited for this cross-sectional study. A survey, to assess the capacity and resources of the selected eye care facilities for the feasibility to adopt task sharing in management of DR to prevent vision loss, was emailed to participants who were asked to complete. Responses to open-ended questions were entered into a Microsoft Excel spread sheet and inductive approach was applied for analysis.

All the surveyed eye care facilities offer eye care services for people with diabetes and DR. All surveyed eye care facilities have a shortage in the number of human resources across all cadres. Optometrists and mid-level eye care workers did not have active roles in DR screening and management in all four hospitals. All the hospitals surveyed did not have a computerized record management system for patients who visit ophthalmologists for eye examinations. Equipment for detection and management of DR were short in number and main users were ophthalmologists. There was no policy for population-based screening program for detection of DR in any of the surveyed hospitals.

A system-based approach to manage DR is needed. The capacity of eye care facilities and the potential to improve access of people with diabetes to eye care services can be enhanced through implementation of task sharing.