Key result
A Link Worker-delivered telephone reminder significantly increased mean attendance proportions for diabetic retinopathy screening compared to control practices (0.89 vs 0.74; difference 0.15, P=0.0162).
Why the study?
Does a Link Worker-delivered telephone reminder improve attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening in a South Asian population?
RCT
Cluster randomized
Yes
Does a Link Worker-delivered telephone reminder improve attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening in a South Asian population?
A simple Link Worker-delivered telephone reminder significantly increased attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening in a high-risk South Asian population.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports implementing Link Worker telephone reminders to raise diabetic retinopathy screening rates in South Asian populations; extends RCT evidence for targeted outreach.
Attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening in minority ethnic groups, including the South Asian population, is known to be poor. We describe a cluster randomised controlled trial conducted in 10 general practitioner (GP) surgeries in Coventry, UK, during 2007 which aimed to evaluate the use of a Link Worker-delivered intervention to improve attendance. The intervention consisted of a simple telephone reminder with the main outcome measure being attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening. We found a statistically significant difference between mean attendance proportions for intervention (0.89) and control (0.74) practices: difference (95% confidence interval (CI)) 0.15 (0.04-0.27), t = 3.03, p = 0.0162; this difference remained significant when adjusted for previous year's proportions. In this proof-of-concept study, in inner city Coventry, we demonstrated increased attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening by use of a simple Link Worker-implemented telephone call intervention. The use of Link Worker phone calls may be a useful tool to increase attendance for diabetic retinopathy screening in a group with high did-not-attend (DNA) rates and a high prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and visual impairment.
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Bush et al. (2014) conducted an RCT in Diabetic retinopathy. Link Worker-delivered telephone reminder vs. Control practices was evaluated on Attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening (difference 0.15, 95% CI 0.04-0.27, p=0.0162). A Link Worker-delivered telephone reminder significantly increased mean attendance proportions for diabetic retinopathy screening compared to control practices (0.89 vs 0.74; difference 0.15, P=0.0162).
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