title: Analysis of eye health in the Thai population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess national eye health as a baseline for improving medical education, services and research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on eye illness among out- and in-patients was based on hospital claims from the three national health insurance schemes in 2010. The data were analyzed by age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2010, 4,982,025 out-patient visits and 187,080 in-patient admissions were reported. The five most common outpatient eye conditions were disorders of the (1) conjunctiva (H10-H13) (2) eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit (H00-H06) (3) lens (H25-28) (4) sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body (H15-H22) and (5) glaucoma (H40-H42). The five most common inpatient eye diseases were (1) disorders of lens (H25-H28) (2) conjunctiva (H10-H13) (3) sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body (H15-H22) (4) choroid and retina (H30-H35) and (5) glaucoma (H40-H42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information on the most frequent eye diseases-including the types and frequency of high risk conditions, the diseases causing the most impact on vision and resulting in the highest health expenditures-will be used to (a) revise the curricula for medical education (b) to improve eye care services and (c) to improve access to data for research themes tailored to local and national needs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. yosanan@kku.ac.th
authors.forename: Yosanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yospaiboon
authors.forename: Kasem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yospaiboon
authors.forename: Tanapat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ratanapakorn
authors.forename: Suthasinee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinawat
authors.forename: Thuss
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanguansak
authors.forename: Chavakij
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bhoomibunchoo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology