A new study, 'An estimate of patient costs and benefits of the new primary eye care model utilization through vision centers in andhra pradesh, India,' is now available. According to a study from Hyderabad, India, 'Little or no work has been carried out in developing countries on costs to patients and patient benefits in accessing primary eye care services. The purpose of this study was to assess the indirect, direct, and overall costs of patients accessing vision care at vision center services (New Primary Eyecare Approach) as compared with the nearest private clinic.'
'The authors used a standardized questionnaire and a paired sample t test to check the significance of difference of costs. They considered a P value of <.05 as significant in this study,' wrote V. Kovai and colleagues, Prasad Eye Institute.
The researchers concluded: 'The total costs were significantly lower for patients who accessed the vision centers compared with the costs these patients may have incurred if they had sought services from the nearest town-based clinic (mean in Indian rupees [INR] of 178.4 [+ or -] 48.3, standard error of the mean=4.2, and INR 366.2 [+ or -] 48.2, standard error of the mean=4.2, respectively, t test P value <.001). vision centers, besides providing quality eye care services, offer substantial cost savings to rural populations compared with town-based optical clinics.'
Kovai and colleagues published the results of their research in Asia-pacific Journal of Public Health (An estimate of patient costs and benefits of the new primary eye care model utilization through vision centers in andhra pradesh, India. Asia-pacific Journal of Public Health, 2010;22(4):426-35).
For additional information, contact V. Kovai, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
The publisher of the Asia-pacific Journal of Public Health can be contacted at: SAGE Publications, USA , 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.
Keywords: City:Hyderabad, Country:India, Asia, China, India, Public Health.
This article was prepared by China Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, China Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
