Zhou J B, Guan H J, Qu J, Yang X J, Peng D, Gu H Y
Department of Ophthalmology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Eur J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jul-Aug;18(4):544-50. doi: 10.1177/112067210801800407.
To investigate the awareness of cataract disease and treatment and to determine the major barriers for patients who need cataract treatment in a rural area of eastern China.
A total of 251 cataract patients were selected by means of eye disease screenings throughout Jiangyan County. Questionnaires were administered after the doctor determined that the patient needed cataract surgery. The patient's awareness questionnaire was developed by Fletcher and clinically validated at the Aravind Eye Hospital in India.
A total of 89.6% of patients had been aware of their condition for more than 1 year. Only 49.8% of all patients had known for more than 1 year that their eye disease could be treated. The major barriers for those seeking eye treatment included residual functional vision (49.0%), financial problems (36.7%), no demand for the operation (8.8%), and skepticism about the operation (8.8%). Poor vision function grade and female gender were two significant factors associated with a longer awareness (>3 years) of the existence of cataracts. Patients with a history of eye disease and a longer awareness of eye disease were more likely to have known about the potential treatments for a longer period of time (>1 year).
The patients' awareness of the presence of cataract disease and potential treatment were unbalanced. The main treatment barriers were lower demand for vision improvement and financial problems. It is imperative to educate patients on eye health care and to provide low cost, but high quality, cataract surgery to these patients.
调查白内障疾病及治疗的知晓情况，并确定中国东部农村地区需要白内障治疗的患者的主要障碍。
通过对姜堰县进行眼病筛查，共选取了251例白内障患者。在医生确定患者需要进行白内障手术后发放问卷。患者知晓情况问卷由弗莱彻编制，并在印度阿拉文眼科医院进行了临床验证。
共有89.6%的患者知晓自己的病情已超过1年。在所有患者中，只有49.8%的人在超过1年的时间里知道自己的眼病可以治疗。寻求眼科治疗的主要障碍包括残余视力功能（49.0%）、经济问题（36.7%）、对手术无需求（8.8%）以及对手术持怀疑态度（8.8%）。视力功能分级差和女性是与白内障存在的知晓时间较长（>3年）相关的两个显著因素。有眼病病史且对眼病知晓时间较长的患者更有可能在较长时间（>1年）内了解潜在的治疗方法。
患者对白内障疾病的存在及潜在治疗的知晓情况不均衡。主要的治疗障碍是对视力改善的需求较低和经济问题。必须对患者进行眼保健教育，并为这些患者提供低成本但高质量的白内障手术。
