A Service Coverage Analysis of Primary Congenital Glaucoma Care Across the United States

Purpose: To assess the number of infants at risk of delayed primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) evaluation due to long travel times to specialists.

Design: Cross-sectional geospatial service coverage analysis.

Methods: All American Glaucoma Society (AGS) and American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) provider locations were geocoded using each organization's member directory. Sixty-minute drive time regions to providers were generated using ArcGIS Pro (Esri). The geographic intersection of AGS and AAPOS service areas was computed because patients typically require visits to both types of specialists. American Community Survey data were then overlaid to estimate the number of infants within and beyond the AGS/AAPOS service areas.

Results: One thousand twenty-nine AGS and 1,040 AAPOS provider locations were geocoded. The analysis yielded 944,047 infants age 0-1 year (23.6%) who live beyond the AGS/AAPOS service areas. Therefore, approximately 14-94 new PCG cases/year may be at risk of delayed diagnosis as a result of living in a potential service desert. Compared with children living within the AGS/AAPOS service areas, children aged <6 years in these potential service deserts were more likely to live in households earning below the US federal poverty level, lack health insurance, and live in a single-parent home. These communities are disproportionately likely to experience other rural health disparities and are more prevalent across the Great Plains.

Conclusion: Service coverage analysis is a useful tool for identifying underserved regions for PCG referrals and evaluation. These data may assist in targeting screening programs in low access areas for pediatric glaucoma care.