Role of eye screening camp in detecting systemic diseases and promoting health-seeking behaviour in the rural population - A multi-centre study.

Abstract

Purpose: The 'Gift of Vision', a rural outreach eye programme, is a doorstep-to-doorstep programme that includes identification of curable eye ailments, logistical transport, and surgery at a base hospital. As part of these screening camps, a cursory systemic examination is conducted to identify systemic conditions that could increase morbidity while the patient is undergoing treatment for their eye conditions at the hospital. The purpose of the study was to analyse the benefit of outreach eye screening camps towards the 2030 agenda of promoting health and well-being in rural India.

Materials and methods: This prospective observational multi-centric study included patients attending eye camps and declared systemically unfit for cataract surgery, who were subjected to a structured questionnaire via a telephonic interview from April 2023 to December 2023. Patients' health seeking behaviour and barriers to healthcare were analysed.

Results: A total of 7906 patients from 35 camps were screened for cataract. A total of 1340 were found to be 'unfit' for surgery. A total of 606 patients responded to our telephonic interview. A total of 524 (86.5%) patients visited a primary health care physician for systemic treatment, and 466 (76%) were compliant with the medications. A total of 179 (29.5%) patients were newly detected with systemic comorbidity during outreach screening. Ignorance, time constraints, domestic issues, lack of family support, financial issues, and lack of transport were the common barriers to seeking healthcare.

Conclusion: Outreach screening not only helps in improving vision in people with visual impairment in rural India but also provides opportunities to enforce health seeking behaviour for systemic comorbidities aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 3.