title: [Increase in examinations for cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration : Comparative cross-sectional study between 2010 and 1997 in ophthalmological practices].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of the four most commonly occurring vision-threatening diseases, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataract in ophthalmological practices has changed due to demographic developments, medical progress and transference of inpatient treatment to the outpatient area of private practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the fourth quarter year of 2010 a survey of 15,125 patients (approximately 10%) from 96 private ophthalmology practices (mean 149 patients per ophthalmologist, range 45-376) was carried out. The results for the four most commonly occurring vision-threatening diseases were compared with the result from a previous survey carried out for the fourth quarter year of 1997.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to 1997 there was an increase in the age-adjusted proportion of examinations in 2010 for cataracts by 29 %, for glaucoma by 21 %, for diabetic retinopathy by 39 % and for vitreoretinal diseases by 19 %. The number of AMD examinations in the age group over 70 years old showed a particularly high increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of patients examined for the four most commonly occurring vision-threatening diseases increased from 1997 to 2010 not only in absolute numbers but also in relation to age. In the future financial and personnel resources must be made available for the early and guidelines-conform detection, diagnostics and therapy by ophthalmologists.
authors.affiliation: Augenarztpraxis, Löhergraben 30, 52064, Aachen, Deutschland, BerndBertram@t-online.de.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bertram
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gante
authors.forename: R-D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hilgers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D014600:Utilization Review