School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney, Australia; The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia;
The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
Public Health Res Pract. 2022 Oct 12;32(3):31342116. doi: 10.17061/phrp31342116.
Cataract surgery is a safe, effective and common elective procedure in Australia but access is inequitable. True waiting times for cataract care are undisclosed or inconsistently reported by governments. Estimates of true waiting times range from 4 to 30 months and have been extended during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Comparative analysis revealed that reducing waiting periods from 12 to 3 months would result in estimated public health system cost savings of $6.6 million by preventing 50 679 falls. Investment in public cataract services to address current unmet needs would prevent avoidable vision impairment and associated negative consequences.
白内障手术在澳大利亚是一种安全、有效且常见的选择性手术，但获得手术的机会并不公平。白内障护理的实际等待时间政府没有披露或报告不一致。实际等待时间的估计范围从 4 到 30 个月不等，并且在 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间有所延长。比较分析表明，通过防止 50679 起跌倒，将等待时间从 12 个月缩短至 3 个月，预计将节省公共卫生系统 660 万美元的成本。投资于公共白内障服务以满足当前未满足的需求，将防止可避免的视力损害和相关的负面后果。
