PATIENT FACTORS IN DETERMINING URGENCY OF CATARACT REFERRAL

Patients with cataract experience various symptoms which reduces quality of life. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of patients who were referred for urgent versus routine cataract surgery.

A 7-month retrospective study was performed on 140 patients referred by opticians for cataract surgery in the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, UK.

Basic demographic information including Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), number of symptoms (nVFQ), visual acuity (VA), urgency of referral by optometrist and triage status by doctor (urgent versus routine) were gathered. Sub-group analysis of differences between routine versus urgent using a two-sample t-test or Chi-squared tests. Logistic regression was used to examine factors that are associated with increased odds of urgent presentation. Parameters found to be significant on univariate regression analyses were further investigated using multivariable regression analyses.

Sub-group analysis shows that nVFQ was associated with triage status by doctors (p=0.01) and urgency of referral by optometrists (p<0.0001). VA was not associated with urgency of referral or triage status. Univariate logistic regression demonstrates that the nVFQ is associated with triage status by doctors (OR=1.70, CI=1.11-2.60, p=0.014) and urgency of referral by optometrists (OR=2.22, CI=1.44-3.41, p=0.0003). These associations remained significant when examined using multivariate logistic regression. ANOVA testing showed a significant association between SIMD quintile and nVFQ. (p=0.036).

Our study demonstrates an association between higher cataract symptoms reporting, but not visual acuity with urgency of referral and triage status. Less socioeconomic deprivation had higher cataract symptom reporting. Further research should explore the factors which contribute to the relationship between socioeconomic background and symptom reporting.