Refugee Health Service, SA Health, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
Lions Eye Institute, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jul 2;21(7):869. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21070869.
This study describes the eye health of newly arrived refugees attending a state-funded health service in Adelaide, South Australia, helping to address the paucity of data on the eye health of refugees. Patients attending the Refugee Health Service undergo comprehensive assessment by an on-site optometrist with accredited interpreters if they have eye symptoms, personal or family history of eye disease, or visual impairment (using World Health Organization definitions). A retrospective audit of this service was performed to obtain patient demographics, presenting best-corrected distance visual acuity (better-seeing eye), diagnoses, and management. In 2017-2018, 494 of the 1400 refugees attending the service underwent an optometry assessment (age range 1-86 years, mean age 33.1 ± 18.6 years, 53% female). Regions of origin included the Middle East (25%), Bhutan (24%), Afghanistan (22%), Myanmar (15%), and Africa (14%). Of the 124 cases of visual impairment, 78% resolved with corrective lenses and 11% were due to cataracts. Ophthalmology follow-up was required for 56 (11%) patients, mostly for cataracts (22 patients). Newly arrived refugees have high rates of visual impairment from refractive error and cataracts. Integration of optometry and state-based refugee health services may improve the timely detection and treatment of these conditions.
本研究描述了在南澳大利亚阿德莱德的一家州立卫生服务机构接受治疗的新抵达难民的眼部健康状况，有助于填补有关难民眼部健康数据的空白。在有眼部症状、个人或家族眼部疾病史或视力障碍（采用世界卫生组织的定义）的情况下，在该服务机构接受治疗的患者会由现场验光师进行全面评估，如果需要，还会配备经过认证的口译员。对该服务机构进行了回顾性审核，以获取患者的人口统计学信息、最佳矫正距离视力（视力较好的眼睛）、诊断和治疗方法。在 2017-2018 年，接受服务的 1400 名难民中有 494 名（年龄范围 1-86 岁，平均年龄 33.1 ± 18.6 岁，女性占 53%）接受了验光评估。原籍国包括中东（25%）、不丹（24%）、阿富汗（22%）、缅甸（15%）和非洲（14%）。在 124 例视力障碍病例中，78%通过矫正镜片得到解决，11%是由白内障引起的。需要对 56 名（11%）患者进行眼科随访，主要是白内障患者（22 名）。新抵达的难民因屈光不正和白内障导致视力障碍的发生率很高。整合验光和州立难民健康服务机构可能会提高这些疾病的及时发现和治疗水平。
