Pediatric Eye Care Treatment Rates in Underserved School District San Diego
Rohn, Matthew C. H.; O'Sullivan, Flynn; Brown, Stuart I.; Hernandez, Eric; Borooah, Shyamanga; Molina, Iliana
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE: The need for early identification and treatment of young children's refractive error needs has become a public health concern. The UCSD Eyemobile for Children (EyeMobile) provides vision screenings and comprehensive eye exams on the Eyemobile among a population of underserved, predominantly Hispanic preschool and elementary school children. The program also provides spectacles for children who fail eye exams due to refractive error. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of all children screened from 2011 to 2017 by the Eyemobile across 10 San Diego elementary schools. RESULTS: A total of 12,176 elementary school children were screened between 2011 and 2017. Of these children, 5269 (43.3%) were referred for a comprehensive eye examination. Across six years, 3163 (60.0%) of the children referred completed their eye examinations. There was a significant increase (p < 0.001) in exam completion in the successive years. A total of 1089 (8.9% of screened) children were prescribed spectacles. Of the 409 children that were recorded with the compliance method, 342 (83.6%) were found to be fully compliant and wearing their spectacles as prescribed. CONCLUSION: The Eyemobile program demonstrated high levels of compliance for both eye examination completion and prescribed spectacle wear in underserved populations in the San Diego region, compared to similar national programs.