Incarceration and emergency department visit frequency as predictors for missing day of cataract surgery at County hospital

This study found that in the studied population (n = 242), being incarcerated was a statistically significant predictor of missing the scheduled cataract surgery appointment (OR 6.14, 95% CI 1.14-33.16, p = 0.035). In addition, having at least one emergency department visit in the prior year (OR 6.50, CI 1.83-23.1, p = 0.004) was found to be significant, with a greater difference in patients who had at least three emergency department visits in the prior year (OR 13.2, CI 3.21-52.6, p < 0.001). Other studied factors were not found to be statistically significant predictors of missing the surgery appointment, although having best-corrected vision of count fingers or worse neared statistical significance of predicting missing cataract surgery appointment. These findings may potentially direct targeted intervention strategies to improve access to cataract care.