ArticleCureus2025
Associations Between Laser Treatment Utilization, Regional Access, and Vision-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy in Northwest Tanzania: A Retrospective Study.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
Background The influence of proximity to laser treatment centers on adherence and visual outcomes in patients with vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) in low-resource settings is not well known. This study evaluated adherence to initial laser treatment referral and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the time of referral, before and after the installation of a regional ophthalmic laser in northwest Tanzania (TZ). Materials and methods This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single tertiary care institution in northwest TZ. The study included adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) who were diagnosed with VTDR by ophthalmologists at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, TZ, and referred for initial laser treatment between March 1, 2017, and May 1, 2019. Data were collected on patient demographics, VTDR classification (severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and/or clinically significant macular edema), BCVA at the time of referral, and referral adherence. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the location of available laser treatment centers at the time of their referral. The off-site group included patients referred to laser centers located out of the region before treatment became available locally. The on-site group included patients referred for laser treatment within the region after BMC began providing laser therapy for VTDR. Data from the off-site group was compared with data from the on-site group. Results A total of 68 patients were included, 32 referred off-site and 36 on-site. Referral for laser treatment on-site was associated with a greater rate of adherence compared to off-site (32/36 (89%) vs 21/32 (66%),
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