Utilization Of Eye Care Services Among Patients With Diabetes Attending The Endocrine Clinic Of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT Background: Diabetes is a key public health challenge that is approaching epidemic proportion worldwide. Utilization of care services among persons diagnosed with diabetes helps in early detection of diabetic retinopathy and also, allows for timely intervention. Evidence shows that the utilization of eye care services among patients living with diabetes, in Ghana is low. Objective: To determine factors associated with utilization of eye care services among patients with diabetes, attending the endocrine clinic of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Method: A cross- sectional descriptive study was conducted at the endocrine clinic of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The study population comprised of 360 patients with established diagnosis of diabetes. Data was collected by administering a structured questionnaire to the study population between May and June, 2019. Results were analyzed using logistic regression to establish factors associated with use of eye care services. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 45 years. The proportion of respondents who visited the eye clinic within the last 12 months was 21.7%. In addition, there was a significant association between visitation of eye clinic and socio- demographic variables such as sex, age, educational status and occupation, with p-value of 0.022, 0.000, 0.021 and 0.003 respectively. The overall level of knowledge of diabetic retinopathy, among respondents was poor. More than half (58.5% ) of the respondents had no knowledge of diabetic retinopathy and the need for annual eye screening. Factors associated with utilization of eye care services revealed that, respondents with high education had higher odds of using eye care services and those with knowledge of diabetic retinopathy were also 2.7 (p=0.077 ) times more likely to utilize the eye clinic. Patients who paid for health services by both out of pocket and NHIS (p=0.031), NHIS (P=0.000) and provision of eye referral letters by physicians to respondents (p=0.024) were some of the enabling factors significantly associated with the use of eye care services. In addition, a little over twothirds of the respondents (41.1%) did not visit the eye clinic because they felt it was not necessary. Conclusion: The results suggest that, factors like education, lack of knowledge of diabetic retinopathy and the need for routine eye screening services, affordability and accessibility accounted for low proportion of patients with diabetes, receiving the recommended annual eye screening services at the eye clinic