Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35661209›Full record

ArticleOphthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)2022

Trends in low vision service utilisation: A retrospective study based on general population healthcare claims.

Miriam L Stolwijk, Ruth M A van Nispen, Ilona W M Verburg, Lieke van Gerwen, Tim van de Brug, Ger H M B van Rens

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Support for Older People With Vision Impairment: A Rapid Realist Review.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Trends in low vision service utilisation: A retrospective study based on general population healthcare claims.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Miriam L StolwijkOphthalmology Department, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2816-0156
Ruth M A van NispenOphthalmology Department, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1227-1177
Ilona W M VerburgHealthcare Information Center, Vektis CV, Zeist, the Netherlands.
Lieke van GerwenHealthcare Information Center, Vektis CV, Zeist, the Netherlands.
Tim van de BrugEpidemiology and Data Science Department, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3541-9111
Ger H M B van RensOphthalmology Department, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Amsterdam Neuroscience · NLPension Fund for Care and Well-Being · NLAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo identify parameters associated with the downward trend in the uptake of Low Vision Services (LVS) in the Netherlands.

methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted based on a Dutch national health insurance claims database (Vektis CV) of all adults (≥18 years) who received LVS from 2015 until 2018. Descriptive statistics were used to assess socio-demographic, clinical and contextual characteristics and other healthcare utilisation of the study population. General estimating equations trends in characteristics and healthcare utilisation were determined over time.

resultsA total of 49,726 unique patients received LVS, but between 2015 and 2018, the number of patients decreased by 15%. The majority was aged 65 years or older (53%), female (54%), had a middle (38%) or low (24%) socio-economic status and lived in urban areas (68%). Between 2015-2018, significant downward trends were found for treatment with intravitreal injections and lens-related diseases for LVS patients. For physical comorbidity, utilisation of ophthalmic care, low vision aids and occupational therapy, a significant upward trend was found over time.

conclusionThe decrease of Dutch LVS patients by 15% between 2015 and 2018 might be explained by a reduced distribution of patients treated with intravitreal injections and patients with lens-related diseases within the LVS. Compared to 2015, patients were more likely to have physical comorbidity, to see an ophthalmologist and to use low vision aids and occupational therapy in 2016, 2017 and 2018. This might indicate enhanced access to LVS when treated by ophthalmologists or within other medical specialties, or the opposite, i.e., less access when not treated within one of these medical specialties. Future research is needed to examine differences in patterns between LVS users and non-users further.

Indexed as

Acquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeVision, LowAdultDelivery of Health CareFemaleHumansPatient Acceptance of Health CareRetrospective Studieshealthcare claimslow visionlow vision servicesservice utilisationvisual impairment

Identifiers

PMID35661209
PMCPMC9325458
OpenAlexW4225436594

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.