Nonadherence to follow-up care in infectious keratitis tied to race, income, and insurance

Demographic factors, insurance type, and clinical factors (like corneal culturing) are associated with nonadherence to follow-up care after a diagnosis of infectious keratitis, according to a study.

A retrospective chart review of 217 patients diagnosed at Wills Eye Hospital Emergency Room found that 38.2% of patients failed to follow the recommended initial follow-up. Nonadherence was more common among non-Hispanic White patients compared to Hispanic White patients. Other factors contributing to nonadherence included lower income, government insurance, and lack of corneal culturing at the initial visit.

The researchers concluded that recognizing obstacles to follow-up care for infectious keratitis could play a crucial role in preventing vision loss and other potential complications.

Reference
Dmitriev PM, Swaminathan S, Zhang Q, et al. Factors Contributing to Follow-up Nonadherence After Infectious Keratitis Diagnosis. Eye Contact Lens. 2024;doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000001157. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39661466.