The health equity space is buzzing over a recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology suggesting that non-white patients have less successful outcomes following retinal detachment surgery.
The research found that the vision results of Black and Hispanic patients were worse than those of white patients following the surgical treatment. The study encompassed medical records from 124 Black and/or Hispanic participants and 71 white participants who underwent surgical treatment for retinal detachment at Boston Medical Center.
For Black and Hispanic patients, there was a higher incidence of suffering proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), the most common cause of failure of retinal detachment surgery, and had worse postoperative vision than white patients at the six-month and two-year periods.
Researchers observed that the higher presence of PVR among Black and/or Hispanic participants prior to surgery likely contributed to worse vision outcomes. Experts also suggested that the higher occurrence of PVR among non-white patients prior to surgery, and the quality of vision care available to minorities across the lifespan, under-diagnosis, and under-treatment could all potentially account for the racial differences in treatment outcomes as found in the study.
While it was noted that further research is required to confirm the results and improve treatments, the study’s results represent important data points in underscoring the extent of inequities in health treatment and outcomes for minority populations.
