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Abstract #59501 Published in IGR 16-3
Effectiveness of counseling provided by primary care doctors and nurses in increasing glaucoma screening rates
Rezner W; Rezner A; Dutkiewicz SJournal of Ophthalmology 2014; 2014: 306795
INTRODUCTION: An effective screening that can prevent glaucoma-related blindness largely depends on successful recruitment. This study was to assess the effectiveness of one-on-one counseling carried out by primary care doctors and nurses to increase glaucoma screening rates. Material and METHODS: The study, carried out in an urban primary care center, involved 308 persons aged 35-87 years who were assigned to a doctor's, nurse's, or control group (N = 109, 110, and 89, resp.). Interventions by doctors and nurses included a brief one-on-one counseling session, while only a screening history was taken from controls. The number of people in each group with a positive screening status was assessed by telephone interview three months after the visit. RESULTS: The percentage of persons in the nurse's counseling group who claimed being subjected to screening was more than four times higher than in the control group (20.9% versus 4.5%, P = 0.002). The doctor's interventions resulted in almost a tripled screening rate as compared to the control group (12.8% versus 4.5%, P = 0.052). There was no significant difference between screening rates in doctor's and nurse's groups (P = 0.212). CONCLUSIONS: In the studied population, counseling provided by nurses proved to be an efficacious method to encourage patients to undergo glaucoma screening.
ZDROWIE Medical Center, Warszawska 34, 25-312 Kielce, Poland.
Full articleClassification:
1.6 Prevention and screening (Part of: 1 General aspects)
