Compliance with outpatient follow-up recommendations for infants at risk for retinopathy of prematurity

Objectives: We undertook this study to determine how frequently at-risk inf ants were scheduled for and brought to follow-up appointments for retinopat hy of prematurity (ROP) examination after hospital discharge and to identif y barriers to follow-up. Methods: The records of 126 infants with or at ris k for ROP at the time of hospital discharge were retrospectively reviewed. Data recorded included the presence or absence of a timely outpatient follo w-up appointment, the identity of the person who scheduled the appointment (hospital staff or parents), attendance rate for appointments made, race or ethnicity, and insurance status. Results: Sixty-two of 126 (49%) infants w ere scheduled for a timely outpatient examination. Sixty-four of 126 (51%) required telephone contact from our office to be scheduled for an appointme nt. Eight of 21 (38%) African American infants had an appointment scheduled without additional intervention by our office personnel, and 6 of 21 (29%) were brought to an appointment in a timely manner. Twenty-two of 33 (68%) white infants had an appointment scheduled without additional intervention by our office personnel, and 20 of 33 (61%) were brought to an appointment in a timely manner. African American patients were less likely than white p atients to be brought to a follow-up appointment (P = ,022). Eleven of 15 ( 73%) patients, whose appointments were scheduled by hospital personnel befo re discharge, were brought to their follow-up appointment, compared with 39 of 105 (37%) patients, whose parents were requested to schedule their own appointment (P = .008). Conclusion: Almost 50% of infants with or at risk f or ROP were not scheduled for a timely outpatient follow-up appointment, pu tting these neonates at risk for ROP-related blindness, Patients whose appo intments were scheduled by hospital personnel before discharge were more li kely to be brought to a follow-up examination. Extensive utilization of off ice support staff was required to ascertain the status of infants who did n ot have appointments scheduled or who were not brought to follow-up appoint ments.