Cataract Treatment
VEHSS includes indicators of cataract treatment from survey self-report, payment claims in administrative claims databases, and medical record information in the IRIS Registry of electronic health records (EHR). VEHSS reports the percent of diagnosed cataract patients who received at least one included treatment during the year of observation. Claims and EHR-based prevalence estimates are based on a denominator of cataract patients who had a visit that included a cataract diagnosis. Prevalence from self-report surveys are based on a denominator of all respondents in the sample.
Self-Report: Ever Had Cataract Surgery
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) include questions asking whether the respondent ever had cataract surgery.
| Dataset | Description | Question Text | Variable name(s) | Sample | Response options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHANES | Percentage of people who had a cataract operation | {Have you/Has SP} ever had a cataract operation? | VIQ070, VIQ071 | Ages 20-150 | 1 Yes, 2 No, 7 Don’t know / Not sure, 9 Refused |
| NHIS – Adult Module | Percentage of adults who ever had cataract surgery | Have you ever had cataract surgery? | VIMCSURG | Ages 18+ ever had cataracts | 1 Yes, 2 No, 7 Refused, 9 Don’t know |
The data sources available for this category include NHANES and NHIS (Adult module). See data source documentation.
VEHSS reports the percentage of people with diagnosed cataract who had a treatment claim in claims and IRIS Registry EHR data among patients with a diagnosis of cataract anytime during the year of observation. Cataract surgery is based on the following procedure codes:
| Subgroup | Included Procedures | Procedure Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Cataract surgery | Removal of secondary membranous cataract (opacified posterior lens capsule and/or anterior hyaloid) with corneo-scleral section, with or without iridectomy (iridocapsulotomy, iridocapsulectomy) | 66830 |
| Removal of lens material; aspiration technique, 1 or more stages | 66840 | |
| Removal of lens material; phacofragmentation technique (mechanical or ultrasonic) (e.g., phacoemulsification), with aspiration | 66850 | |
| Removal of lens material; pars plana approach, with or without vitrectomy | 66852 | |
| Removal of lens material; intracapsular | 66920 | |
| Removal of lens material; intracapsular, for dislocated lens | 66930 | |
| Removal of lens material; extracapsular (other than 66840, 66850, 66852) | 66940 | |
| Extracapsular cataract removal with insertion of intraocular lens prosthesis (1-stage procedure), manual or mechanical technique (e.g., irrigation and aspiration or phacoemulsification) | 66982 | |
| Intracapsular cataract extraction with insertion of intraocular lens prosthesis (1 stage procedure) | 66983 | |
| Extracapsular cataract removal with insertion of intraocular lens prosthesis (1 stage procedure), manual or mechanical technique (e.g., irrigation and aspiration or phacoemulsification) | 66984 | |
| Under incision procedures on the lens of the eye | 66821 | |
| Posterior chamber intraocular lens | V2632 | |
| Astigmatism correcting function of intraocular lens | V2787 | |
| Presbyopia correcting function of intraocular lens | V2788 |
The data sources available for this category include Medicare (default), IRIS Registry, Medicaid, and MarketScan commercial insurance claims. See data source documentation.