Purpose To identify the most efficient way to promote the cataract surgery in northwest rural area of China.
Study design a community-based, prospective, randomized control study
Methods We conducted a community-based cataract screening from 24 towns in Pucheng county, Shaanxi province, northwest of mainland China. Those identified with operable cataract were informed to attend to the hospital for the low price surgeries (240 RMB) after being given a detailed explanation of their eye problems and the procedure of the surgery. Two months after the cataract screening outreach, the cataract patients not present in the local hospital were randomly divided 4 groups with different interventions with cataract and treatment education intervention for group 1, education + providing of free surgery for group 2, education + provididing of free surgery.+ reimbursement for the expenses of transportation for group 3, and education + providing of free surgery.+ free transportation by providing a vehicle to pick them up to hospital for group 4. The number of individuals willing to accept and refuse cataract surgery were be addressed within 1 month and 2month respectively in each group.
Results Among patients eligible for surgery (432), 71 could not be implemented the interventions due to unable connecting (52) and moving or other causes (21). Among the 359 patients (83.1%), the number that the patients accepted the surgeries is 33(39.76%) 38(42.70%), 40(43.48%) and 27(28.42%) in group 1, group 2, group 3, and group 4 respectively within 1 month with no significance (P = 0.124).
Conclusion Providing transportation support probably could not have further promotion of the cataract surgery in some northwest rural area of China due to relatively convenient transport.