Association of Socioeconomic Health Care Disparities With Use of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Visual Acuity Outcomes in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

This study characterizes the impact of race, ethnicity, insurance status, and geographic location on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) use for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study is a retrospective cohort study. The American Academy of Ophthalmology Intelligent Research in Sight Registry was queried for patients diagnosed with DME who received at least one anti-VEGF injection between 2012 and 2020 ( = 203,707). Multivariate regression analyses investigated associations between race, ethnicity, insurance status, and geographic location and anti-VEGF use and visual outcomes.

RESULTS

White race, non-Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, and private insurance were associated with higher use of anti-VEGF injections during a 60-month period (incidence rate ratio, 1.2, 1.25, and 1.17, respectively; < .01). Furthermore, being of non-Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and having private health insurance were associated with higher longitudinal visual acuity (odds ratio, 1.44 [ = .02] and odds ratio, 1.43 [ < .01], respectively).

CONCLUSION

Ethnicity and insurance status are associated with anti-VEGF use and visual acuity outcomes in DME. .