The evaluation of epidemiology and the availability of medical care for patients with retina diseases in the Russian Federation

Abstract

Retinal diseases are significant causes of blindness and vision loss and they take the second place in the structure of disabilities due to blindness in Russia. Objective: analysis of the official statistical data on the disease and availability of health care to patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) that are prescribed intravitreal injection of drugs (IVD) as the first-line therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema, respectively. Materials and methods: Epidemiological parameters were assessed by the data obtained from the form of statistical records № 12 for 2018–2019 years. The availability of IVD was analyzed by the information registered in the form of statistical records № 14 for 2016–2019 with a recalculation per 1000 population. Results: In 2019 in the Russian Federation 330 thousand patients with AMD were registered (0.45% among the population older than 40 years old). The incidence rate was significantly lower than in other countries (8.69%). The data on the number of patients with DR was unavailable for statistical recording because of the absence of the code Н36.0 IDC‑10 in form № 12. However, according to the federal register of diabetes mellitus, the total rate of DR can reach 760 thousand people all over Russia. The availability of IVD for all-day inpatient health care was 0.39 injections per 1000 population. In 26 subjects of the Russian Federation, the availability was higher than the average in Russia, while in the rest 59 subjects, the availability was lower than the average. Presently, there are no data on the number of IVD performed in day-time inpatient facilities. Conclusions: The current rate of application of IVD in Russia can be estimated as low considering the revealed problems with the registration and accounting of patients with AMD and DR. It is impossible to perform a complete evaluation of the availability of IVD for the Russian population within obligatory medical health insurance because of the lack of data on the provision of IVD in day-time inpatient facilities. For the rational planning of the volumes of medical care provision to patients with AMD and DR, the form of statistical records should include the data on the indication of IVD in the day-time inpatient facilities in the subjects of the Russian Federation.