Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), is one of the most common complications of diabetes, and recent cases of legal blindness among people of the age bracket 20-74 years. Knowledge of DR among healthcare providers is paramount as they have a key role to play in the management and prevention of DR. Knowledge of DR among patients would help them to identify early signs of DR and report for care timely.
Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices
regarding Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) among Medical Officers (MO) and diabetic
patients in Ogun State of Nigeria.
Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Data on awareness of DR
among medical officers in 14 general hospitals were obtained by telephone using
a structured questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was also used to collect
data from diabetic patients on their awareness of DR and the proportion
undergoing ophthalmic examination.
Setting: Diabetic clinics based in three hospitals in Ogun state.
Methods: The study was conducted between June and August 2010.
Medical officers in all the general hospitals (general hospitals are managed by
general practitioners, GP) were interviewed via telephone while one teaching
hospital and two state hospitals (headed by specialists) were randomly selected
to conduct face-to-face interviews with diabetic patients. Data obtained from
these interviews was filled into a structured questionnaire. The diabetic
patient data was entered into Microsoft Excel and using stata transfer 10 into
stata 11. Chi- square/fisher exact test was used to assess the association
between attending for eye examination and sociodemographic factors.
Results: All the medical officers in the general hospitals were
aware that DM affects the eyes while 43% believed that diabetic patients need a
monthly eye examination. About 36% examined the eyes of diabetic patients on
each visit. All medical officers would refer a diabetic with poor vision to an
ophthalmologist. The majority (75%) of the patients recruited were female. The
majority of diabetic patients at the state hospitals and the general hospitals
in Ogun state are not receiving a regular eye exam. Fifty-one per cent of patients were not aware
that diabetes affects the eyes while only 35% had ever had a fundoscopy.
Conclusions: The medical officers in the general hospitals in the
state are all aware that diabetes can cause DR but don’t have eye clinics. Less
than half of them (43%) screen for DR. Known diabetics are not having regular
eye examinations.
Author
(s) Details
Bogunjoko TJ
Eye Foundation Centre for the Prevention of Blindness, Nigeria.
Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/acmms/v7/3218
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