Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with diabetes presenting to an urban public hospital ophthalmology clinic

Abstract

Objective This study aims to describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with diabetes who are newly presenting to an inner city public hospital eye clinic. This study also aims to determine the prevalence and severity of ocular morbidity in this population at time presentation and to assess the adequacy of the ophthalmic surveillance to which this population was exposed before presentation. Design A clinic-based, cross-sectional study. Participants A total of 118 consecutive patients with diabetes participated. Method During a 2-month interval, all patients with diabetes newly presenting to the Los Angeles County King-Drew Medical Center eye clinic were recruited who were at risk for diabetic eye complications according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Each patient underwent a standardized interviewer-administered questionnaire and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination. Results Of the 118 patients, 65 (55%) were Hispanic and 51 (43%) were African American. Forty-six percent had a grade school education or less, 91% were unemployed, and 64% had no health insurance. Type two diabetes was predominant (91%), including 24 (22%) of new onset. Thirty-six patients with diabetes (31%) reported duration of diabetes greater than 10 years at time of presentation. At time of presentation, 62% had clinically apparent ophthalmic disease, whereas 40% had advanced ocular disease, including 6.8% of the sample that were legally blind. Sixty-nine patients (…