Race and neighborhood play a notable role in facilitating lapses in diabetic retinopathy care, according to a recent analysis published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
In an interview with HCPLive, investigator Cindy X. Cai, MD, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, described the importance of researching vision outcomes among diabetic patients through the lens of health equity, particularly the interplay between community deprivation and the impact by race and ethnicity categories.
“Certainly, for diabetic retinopathy care, there is more that we can do. We know that when patients don’t follow up with us, that’s what they develop vision-threatening diseases,” Cai told HCPLive. “As clinicians, being mindful that some communities need more help than others in returning for care, and how we think about changes we can institute within our clinicians, is critical.”
Highlights
0:08 Interplay between SDOH and DR outcomes
1:00 Correlation between race, neighborhood, and lapses in care
2:12 Impact of structural racism on outcomes
2:50 Effect on clinical practice
3:32 What else needs to be studied?
4:03 Plans for further research
#ophthalmology #retina