Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36803347›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2023

Referral patterns for retinoblastoma patients in Ethiopia.

Sadik Taju Sherief, Fran Wu, Jacquelyn O'Banion, Tiliksew Teshome, Helen Dimaras

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

5 authors.

Sadik Taju SheriefDepartment of Ophthalmology, Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. goge4000@yahoo.com.
Fran WuDepartment of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Jacquelyn O'BanionDepartment of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Tiliksew TeshomeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Helen DimarasDepartment of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIncreased lag time between the onset of symptoms and treatment of retinoblastoma (RB) is one of the factors contributing to delay in diagnosis. The aim of this study was to understand the referral patterns and lag times for RB patients who were treated at Menelik II Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

methodA single-center, cross- sectional study was conducted in January 2018. All new patients with a confirmed RB diagnosis who had presented to Menelik II Hospital from May 2015 to May 2017 were eligible. A questionnaire developed by the research team was administered to the patient's caregiver by phone.

resultsThirty-eight patients were included in the study and completed the phone survey. Twenty-nine patients (76.3%) delayed seeing a health care provider for ≥ 3 months from the onset of symptoms, with the most common reason being the belief that it was not a problem (96.5%), followed by 73% saying it was too expensive. The majority of patients (37/38, 97.4%) visited at least 1 additional health care facility prior to reaching a RB treatment facility. The mean overall lag time from noticing the first symptom to treatment was 14.31 (range 0.25-62.25) months.

conclusionLack of knowledge and cost are major barriers to patients first seeking care for RB symptoms. Cost and travel distance are major barriers to seeing referred providers and receiving definitive treatment. Delays in care may be alleviated by public education, early screening, and public assistance programs.

Indexed as

Retinal NeoplasmsRetinoblastomaEthiopiaHealth PersonnelHumansReferral and ConsultationLag timePublic HealthRetinoblastomaSocio economic factorsSub Saharan African Countries

Identifiers

PMID36803347
PMCPMC9942339

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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.