Cataract Hospitalizations in 96 Grade ⅢA Hospitals in China

Background: To examine the demographic, medical care and financial characteristics of cataract inpatients in China, based on analysis of a large national database.Design: A multicenter, cross-sectional, 6-year period retrospective study.Subjects: This study included 185147 inpatients with a principal or secondary diagnosis of cataract, between 2009 and 2014, in China.Methods: All types of cataract-related hospitalization information from 96 grade ⅢA hospitals, over a 6-year period (from 2009 to 2014), were identified and the data from 230250 eyes (185147 inpatients) were retrospectively analyzed statistically.Main Outcome Measures: Age, sex, location, visit time, hospitalization duration, type of cataract surgery, medical costs.Result: The male to female sex ratio was 97.66:100, and the mean age was 64.50 ± 16.72 years (56.08% aged 60–79 years). Bilateral cataract accounted for 25.04% and age-related cataract was present in 68.85% of patients. The spatio-temporal distribution of hospitalization was concentrated in the northwest (23.14%) and southwest (25.29%) of China (P < 0.01). The estimated hospitalization rate was highest in the northwest (0.23%). Hospitalization peaked biannually, in the summer (27.96%) and winter (27.75%). Phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation was the most common surgery (97.15%) and was increasingly performed over the study period, doubling within 6 years. The overall average hospitalization stay was 6.72 ± 1.70 days. The average financial cost for treatment was ¥8861.81 ± 6818.04 per person. Specifically, the average operation cost was ¥2283.00 ± 2139.14, while the average medicine cost was ¥971.53 ± 2007.69. All-source social medical insurance covered 52.25% of the hospitalizations.Conclusion: These findings illustrate the status quo of cataract-related hospitalizations in China and reveal significant regional variations in the prevalence and medical service conditions, based on a population-scale analysis. Cataracts remain an important public health problem in China. Poverty-stricken areas, such as the northwest and southwest regions of the country, face more challenges. Continuing development and implementation of cataract surgery and further improvement of the medical security system and care level are needed to advance blindness prevention programs in China.