Indicators for effective glaucoma care coverage in adults: protocol for a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, projected to affect over 112 million by 2040.
• Current lack of consensus on public health indicators hinders effective glaucoma care monitoring.
• This scoping review addresses the public health significance of glaucoma and the need for standardized care indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and summarize published public health indicators for monitoring glaucoma care coverage worldwide.
• To identify indicators related to glaucoma patient needs, service utilization, and achieved outcomes.
• To inform the development of standardized indicators for effective glaucoma care.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of studies published from January 1, 2000, in any language, focusing on public health indicators for glaucoma care.
• Searches conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, and CENTRAL (Cochrane Library) by an information specialist.
• Independent screening and data extraction by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer; narrative synthesis of findings.

Main Results:

• The review will identify and categorize existing public health indicators used to monitor glaucoma care coverage.
• Findings will highlight gaps and consistencies in current indicator sets.
• Data will be presented in tabular form followed by a narrative synthesis.

Conclusions:

• The findings will contribute to the development of standardized public health indicators for glaucoma care.
• This work aims to improve the monitoring of effective glaucoma care coverage globally.
• Standardized indicators are crucial for addressing the growing public health challenge of glaucoma.