Interestingly, the authors found significant sociodemographic differences with regard to the diagnosis, management, and outcomes of strabismus. Children with strabismus who are covered by Medicaid insurance had increased odds of poor vision due to amblyoipia and underwent strabismus surgery sooner after diagnosis compared with children covered by commercial insurance. After adjusting for insurance status, Black, Hispanic, and Asian children were less likely to receive strabismus surgery and experienced longer delays between diagnosis and surgery compared with White patients. Although the reasons for these differences in care are complex and not yet well understood, is important for pediatricians and ophthalmologists to be aware of these trends in order to better provide appropriate and timely care for their patients.
Rajesh AE, Davidson O, Lacy M, Chandramohan A, Lee AY, Lee CS, Tarczy-Hornoch K; IRIS® Registry Analytic Center Consortium. Race, Ethnicity, Insurance, and Population Density Associations with Pediatric Strabismus and Strabismic Amblyopia in the IRIS® Registry. Ophthalmology. 2023 Jun 17:S0161-6420(23)00426-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.06.008. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37331481.