Predictive factors for compliance to Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor therapy in Palestinian patients with diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and age- related macular degeneration: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background The burden of retinal vascular and degenerative diseases on patients and healthcare systems can be significant if patients do not complete scheduled intravitreal injections. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence compliance with follow-up injections in patients with diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinal vein occlusion who are undergoing intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment. Methods This study utilized data from patients who received intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment injections between 2022 and 2023 at An-Najah National University Hospital. Patient information such as demographics, number of injections administered, and details of follow-up visits were obtained from the hospital's electronic records. In cases where the electronic records lacked certain information, patients or their relatives were contacted to provide the missing data. Data entry and analysis were performed using Chi-squared tests and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Statistical significance was determined when the p-value was (≤ 0.05). Results A total of 107 patients were eligible for the study, with an average age of 61.9 ± 10.881 years. Out of the total, 64 patients (59.8%) were identified as non-compliant. The factors that significantly affected compliance included the patient's expectation, the planned number of injections, cost issues, injection indications, gender, need for physical assistance, and mobility problems. Conclusion Our study found that 59.8% of patients did not adhere to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment injections. Factors influencing compliance included the planned number of injections, cost, indication of injections, gender, need for physical assistance, and mobility issues. It is crucial to increase awareness of these factors to prevent complications like blindness. Raising awareness could lead to improved compliance rates, better treatment outcomes, and positive impacts on patient and community health.