Personalized follow-up increases return rate at urban eye disease screening clinics for African Americans with diabetes: results of a randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of using personalized follow-up, as compared to reminder letters, in increasing return rates at urban eye disease screening clinics for African Americans with diabetes, and to identify factors predictive of the patient's likelihood of returning for annual follow-up exams.


METHODS
All patients attending free community-based retinopathy screening clinics who were advised to return in one year for another diabetes eye evaluation (DEE) were randomized to standard or personalized follow-up interventions. Patients in the standard follow-up group received reminder letters a month before it was time to return for their next annual DEE. Patients in the intensive personalized intervention also received the letters, but those patients who did not call for an appointment within 10 days received a phone call from project staff, encouraging them to return for a DEE.


RESULTS
One hundred thirty-two African Americans with diabetes were randomized to one of the 2 treatments. The return rate for the intensive, personalized follow-up group was 66%, significantly (P=.001) higher than the 35% return rate for the standard follow-up group.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated the efficacy of personal contact by telephone in improving return rates for annual DEEs in this population of patients. This finding is consistent with one of the key design principles of the project, which was to establish credible personal relationships with community leaders and patients as a means to maximize the utilization of the eye screening clinics.
Department of Medical Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0201, USA. boba@umich.edu
Robert M
RM
Anderson
David C
DC
Musch
Robin B
RB
Nwankwo
Fredric M
FM
Wolf
Mary Lou
ML
Gillard
Mary S
MS
Oh
James T
JT
Fitzgerald
Mark W
MW
Johnson
Roland G
RG
Hiss
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology*; D017010:Reminder Systems; D014505:Urban Population