Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39960123›Full record

ArticleThe Australian journal of rural health2025

Establishment of a New Retinal Service in Remote Western Australia: Kimberley Hub-A Comparative Audit 2019-2022.

James Wiffen, Jocelyn Drinkwater, Vaibhav Shah, Angus Turner

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in The Australian journal of rural health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

4 authors.

James WiffenLions Outback Vision, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Jocelyn DrinkwaterLions Outback Vision, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Vaibhav ShahLions Outback Vision, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Angus TurnerLions Outback Vision, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLions Outback Vision provides access to specialist eye care in rural and remote Western Australia. In 2020, the Kimberley Hub was established as a new regional base in Broome for outreach services in the northwest of the state. Vitreoretinal services commenced for the first time in Broome in 2021. This is a retrospective audit of retinal services provided by Lions Outback Vision in the year prior to, and following, establishment of the Kimberley Hub.

methodsAll ophthalmology occasions of service in the Kimberley in 2019 (1/1/19-31/12/19) were compared with those from April 2021 to March 2022. Data are presented as number (percentage) and mean ± SD as continuous data was normally distributed. Two-way comparisons were by chi-square test.

resultsOccasions of service increased by 75% from 3307 to 5793 between the 2019 and 2021/22 periods respectively. Nonattendance significantly reduced from 28.5% to 18.7% (p < 0.001). In the 12 months following the introduction of vitreoretinal capabilities, 42 surgeries were performed on 35 people (mean ± SD age of 56.1 ± 13.1 years at first surgery), 17 (48.6%) were male, 29 (82.9%) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 19 (54.3%) had diabetes. Nine (21.4%) of these cases were emergency procedures. The number of intravitreal injections given significantly increased by 87% between 2019 and 2021/22. There were 3.5 times more laser photocoagulative procedures.

conclusionEstablishment of the Kimberley Hub saw increased appointments, reduced nonattendance and establishment of the first vitreoretinal service in remote Western Australia.

Indexed as

OphthalmologyRural Health ServicesAdultAgedAustralian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetinal DiseasesRetrospective StudiesWestern Australiadiabetes mellitusretinarural health

Identifiers

PMID39960123
PMCPMC11926776

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Registered trials

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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.