Factors leading to loss to follow-up after strabismus surgery in children.

Purpose To assess risk factors for loss to follow-up (LTFU) and identify obstacles to follow-up care in these patients. Methods The medical records of all children ( Results Patients LTFU were significantly more likely to be black than white or Asian and have state or government-based insurance rather than private or employer-based insurance. The most common reasons cited for not following-up included perceived positive outcome (47%), work conflicts (37%), transportation issues (30%), travel time (30%), and having forgotten (27%). Conclusions Patients were LTFU because parents or guardians perceived follow-up as unnecessary, were faced with scheduling or transportation impediments, or simply forgot to appear. Possible remedies include increasing education through teach-back, offering telemedicine appointments, and sending multiple appointment reminders.