Zarnegar Arman, Cassidy Julie, Stone Andre, McGinnis-Thomas Dana, Wasser Lauren M, Sahel José-Alain, Williams Andrew M
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Department of Ophthalmology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
J Acad Ophthalmol (2017). 2023 May 14;15(1):e106-e111. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1768696. eCollection 2023 Jan.
The aim of this study was to determine whether a patient navigator program can address patient-reported barriers to eye care and to understand patient perceptions of a patient navigator program in ophthalmology. This is a retrospective cohort study and cross-sectional patient survey. A cohort of patients was recruited from a single academic ophthalmology department in the Mid-Atlantic region. Patients included in the study had received referral to the patient navigator program in the first quarter of 2022. Our patient navigator program provided patients with resources to address barriers to care such as transportation and financial assistance. Outcomes of the study included indications for referral, case resolution rate, and patient satisfaction. In total, 130 referrals for 125 adult patients were included. The mean ± standard deviation age was 59 ± 17 years, 54 (44%) were male, 77 were white (62%), and 17 patients (14%) were uninsured. Common reasons for referral were transportation (52, 40%), insurance (34, 26%), and financial assistance (18, 14%). Among the 130 cases referred, 127 (98%) received an intervention from the patient navigator, who was able to resolve the referring issue in 90% of cases (117/130). Among 113 patients contacted for a follow-up telephone survey, 56 (50%) responded. Patients rated the program highly at a mean Likert rating of 4.87 out of 5. Moreover, 72% (31/43) of respondents stated their interactions with the patient navigator assisted them with taking care of their eyes. A patient navigator program can address barriers to eye care by connecting patients with community resources.
本研究的目的是确定患者导航计划是否能够解决患者报告的眼保健障碍，并了解患者对眼科患者导航计划的看法。 这是一项回顾性队列研究和横断面患者调查。 一组患者从大西洋中部地区的一个学术眼科部门招募。纳入研究的患者在2022年第一季度被转介到患者导航计划。我们的患者导航计划为患者提供资源，以解决诸如交通和经济援助等护理障碍。研究结果包括转诊指征、病例解决率和患者满意度。 总共纳入了125名成年患者的130次转诊。平均年龄±标准差为59±17岁，54名（44%）为男性，77名（62%）为白人，17名患者（14%）未参保。转诊的常见原因是交通（52例，40%）、保险（34例，26%）和经济援助（18例，14%）。在转诊的130例病例中，127例（98%）接受了患者导航员的干预，其中90%（117/130）的病例转诊问题得到解决。在113名接受随访电话调查的患者中，56名（50%）做出了回应。患者对该计划的评价很高，平均李克特评分为4.87（满分5分）。此外，72%（31/43）的受访者表示，他们与患者导航员的互动有助于他们照顾眼睛。 患者导航计划可以通过将患者与社区资源联系起来，解决眼保健障碍。
