Association Between Visual Impairment and Health Care Use

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Visual impairment (VI) significantly impacts individuals' lives and healthcare utilization.
• Understanding the patterns of medical care use among those with VI is crucial for resource allocation and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between visual impairment and the utilization of both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic medical care.
• To compare healthcare use in visually impaired individuals against those with non-visual disabilities and those without disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A population-based cohort study design was employed, observing individuals from 2007 to 2017.
• Patients newly developing visual disability were identified and matched with control groups: those with non-visual disability and those without any disability.
• Medical care use was measured by ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic outpatient and inpatient utilization.

Main Results:

• Individuals with visual impairment (VI) showed significantly lower non-ophthalmic outpatient costs and visits compared to those with non-visual disabilities.
• Conversely, visually impaired individuals utilized more ophthalmic medical care than both control groups.
• Age-stratified analysis indicated an age-related dose-response effect on non-ophthalmic care and a nonlinear effect on ophthalmic care receipt.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare utilization studies concerning visual impairment must distinguish between different types of medical care.
• Comparing ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic care use in visually impaired populations against those with other disabilities or no disabilities provides critical insights.