Study of a Simplified Screening System for Cataract Patient

Shin, Seung Hwan; Shyn, Kyung Hwan

Abstract

Recently, the number of surgeries with age-related cataracts has increased remarkably high due to the safety of modern cataract surgery and reliable post-operative visual function has been widely recognized by patients. In spite of such an increase in the number of patients, the authors specualtes that there are still many cataract patients with highly deteriorated visual function who havehad no occasion to receive an ocular examinatio. In order to screen such patients during their general health examination, the authors` study group experienced and evaluated the simplified cataract screening system recently proposed by Sasaki et al, Kanazawa Medical University in Japan. The cataract screening system consists of two steps; primary screening system is 12-item questionnaires, and far vision. In order to evaluate the screening system in Korea, it was used to test 224 indivisual who had wanted to be examined ophthalmologically in two area, Yongsan, Seoul and Donghae, Gangwondo province. Initially, well-trained nurse did the screening system, and then the same patients were examined by one ophthalmologist. The agreement ratio between the screening test and the final judgement for cataract was 70.8% and the final cataract-screening rate was 95.1%. Based on these results, the authors propose the possibility of clinical use of this screening system in general health care units.