VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, TREATMENT, AND EFFECTS ON THE ELDERLY

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DESCRIPTION: This four-year study has four major objectives. (1) For elderly persons with diabetes mellitus diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration -- diseases that can cause serious impairments to vision and blindness -- we will analyze determinants of utilization of eye care services, and whether or not Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes/diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma receive care in accordance with minimal process of eye care standards. Such standards have been disseminated as guidelines by professional organizations. In this phase, we will address these issues. How do data on patient self-report of diagnosis compare with those obtained from physicians' diagnoses? What proportions of persons with the study diseases receive care at least at the minimum level of guidelines? Holding many factors constant, are there racial differences in treatments for these diseases? (2) We will study the longitudinal course of these diseases, measured in terms of visual and general functional status -- physical, cognitive -- and in terms of placement in a nursing home, and survival. We will analyze effects of care on changes in vision and the other outcome measures. Our data are unique both in terms of the length of time over which patients are followed and in the range of health outcome monitored. (3) We will assess the impact of diabetes, glaucoma, and macular degeneration on total Medicare and Medicaid program cost and on costs privately incurred. Program cost will include cost of vision and non-vision services. In our framework, program cost and patient adherence to guidelines will be jointly determined. (4) We will replicate the analysis of the first 2 objectives for complications of diabetes other than for eyes. We will also specify and estimate a dynamic model of utilization of Medicare-covered services by persons with diabetes -- both vision and nonvision care. The main database will be the National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS) for 1982-2001, merged with Medicare claims data for 1982-2001. Eleven papers are planned.