Improving follow-up rates by optimizing patient educational materials in retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of newly designed retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) patient educational materials adherent to health literacy guidelines on improving parent understanding of ROP, perceived importance of follow-up care, and subsequent outpatient follow-up attendance rates. METHODS: This was a repeated-measures study of parents of premature infants at risk for developing ROP. ROP educational materials were redesigned to adhere to current NIH and AMA reading level guidelines. Participants completed surveys that assessed understanding of ROP and perceived importance of clinic follow-up before and after receiving either materials currently available on the website of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), or the newly designed materials. Results were analyzed to evaluate for an improvement in parent knowledge of ROP and follow-up compliance. RESULTS: Parent ROP knowledge scores improved significantly after receiving educational materials for both the AAPOS materials (55.9% vs 83.7% [P < 0.001]) and the new materials (60.9% vs 91.8% [P < 0.001]). Average post-survey ROP knowledge scores were significantly higher among participants that received the new materials compared to the AAPOS materials (91.8% vs 83.7%, [P < 0.001]). Follow-up attendance rates improved in both groups, with a significantly improved rate from pre-study baseline among the new materials group (80.0% vs 68.2%, [P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of educational materials significantly improved parent understanding of ROP; combined with knowledge assessment, it also improved follow-up compliance. Materials designed to adhere to health literacy guidelines are the most effective resources for improving knowledge of ROP and follow-up attendance.

Baltimore pediatric ocular trauma study: Health disparities and outcomes in pediatric and adolescent open globe trauma.

Purpose Children represent approximately one-third of patients with serious ocular injuries. Our study evaluates associations between race and socioeconomic status in presentation and outcomes of pediatric and adolescent traumatic open globe injuries. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of traumatic open globe injuries in pediatric and adolescent patients presenting to Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland Medical Center between 2006 and 2020. Variables assessed included age, gender, parent-identified race, median household income, mechanism of injury, initial and final visual acuity (VA), and length of follow-up. Results Eighty patients ranging from 4 months to 17.7 years (mean 9.3 years) presented with traumatic open globe injury. Identifications were 28 White (35%), 38 Black (48%), and 5 Hispanic (6%). Initial presenting and final VA, pediatric ocular trauma score (POTS), and length of follow-up did not differ significantly among race, gender, or income. Black patients had higher rates of blunt trauma (odds ratio (OR) 3.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-15.24, p = 0.07), uveal prolapse (OR 3.58; 95% CI 1.03-12.43; p = 0.049), and enucleation (OR 10.55; 95% CI 1.26-88.31). Hispanic patients presented at a younger age of 2.8 years mean age vs. 9.9 years (p = 0.004) for others. Conclusion Visual outcomes following traumatic open globe injury were independent of race, gender, or income. However, blunt trauma, uveal prolapse, and enucleation rates were higher in Black patients, and ocular trauma occurred at a younger age in Hispanic patients.

Sensorimotor Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Ocular Trauma in Baltimore.

PURPOSE: To evaluate sensorimotor outcomes following traumatic open globe injuries in the pediatric population. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 80 pediatric patients aged 0.4 to 17.7 years (mean age: 9.3 years, median age: 8.3 years) presenting with traumatic open globe injury to the Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland Medical Centers was evaluated between January 2006 and January 2020. Parameters included the mechanism of injury, length of time of visual deprivation, initial and final visual acuity, additional eye pathologies, and demographic factors such as age and sex. RESULTS: Among children with more than 6 months of follow-up, 77.4% developed poor stereopsis and 50% developed strabismus. Children who developed strabismus had a lower Pediatric Ocular Trauma Score (POTS), indicating greater severity of injury, than children who did not develop strabismus (P = .005, chi-square test). A higher POTS, indicating less severe ocular injury, significantly correlated to a better stereoacuity (P = .001, chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that strabismus and poor stereopsis are common in pediatric open globe injuries, occurring in more than half of children with pediatric open globe trauma. These outcomes are associated with poor presenting visual acuity, more severe ocular trauma, and a lower presenting POTS. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol & Strabismus. 2022;59(5):303-309.].