Ophthalmic epidemiology最新文献

{"title":"Impact of Cataract Surgery on Psychological Well-Being and Economy: The SCOPE Study Protocol.","authors":"Debananda Padhy, Pyda Giridhar, Deeksha Thorat, Yashas Goyal, Ashna Gupta, Aishwarya Madharia, Gurkiran Kaur, Satyanarayana Veeramachaneni, Suryanirolla Rajkumar, Kadam Dattaparasad, Jangilolla Maheshwar, Konegari Shekhar, Swaroop Vedula, Van Charles Lansingh, Rohit C Khanna","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2682950","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2682950","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To describe the study design and inter-observer agreement of study instruments for the impact of cataract surgery on the psychological well-being and economy (SCOPE) study, which aims to i) investigate the economic impact of cataract surgery among adults aged 40 and older in rural south India and ii) evaluate the effects of cataract surgery on visual function, dementia, mental health, and falls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants aged ≥ 40 years with best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCVA) of <6/12 in both eyes and with bilateral, operable cataract will be enrolled. Both the groups (with and without cataract surgery) will be followed up at 3 and 12 months to assess the effect of cataract surgery on household and individual income after adjustment for age, gender, education, visual function, cognition, mental health, and fear of falls. To assess inter-rater reliability, continuous variables such as logarithmic minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity (VA) values were categorized into visual impairment (VI) categories, and Cohen's Kappa was computed for all categorical measures, including logMAR VA, lens opacity, and all interview questionnaires.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cohen's Kappa values for inter-rater agreement for logMAR VA, lens opacity, patient health questionnaire, Hindi Mental State Examination and Indian Visual Function Questionnaire were 0.655 (95%CI:0.558-0.792) to 0.939 (95%CI: 0.874-0.967); 0.700 (95%CI:0.547-0.742) to 0.938 (95%CI:0.871-0.969); 0.594 (95%CI:0.510-0.664) to 0.789 (95%CI:0.692-0.866); 0.846 (95%CI:0.812-0.859) to 0.872 (95%CI:0.849-0.932); and 0.507 (95%CI:0.430-0.585) to 0.507 (95%CI:0.404-0.607) respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>All questionnaires demonstrated reliability. SCOPE provides insights into the psychological, economic, and societal impacts of cataract surgery to inform healthcare policy and improve older adults' well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"682-690"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association Between Baseline Smoking Exposure and Incident Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"EunAh Kim, Nak Gyeong Ko, Mihyeon Jin","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2713597","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2713597","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Beyond conventional vascular risk factors, we investigated whether baseline smoking exposure - a modifiable behavioral risk factor - is longitudinally associated with incident branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed 40,513 individuals (aged ≥40 years) undergoing serial health screenings (2011-2022). Incident BRVO was defined as new retinal hemorrhages in previously normal fundi, confirmed by masked specialists. Hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and decreased kidney function were defined by conventional criteria. Overweight/obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 23 kg/m² or waist circumference ≥ 90 cm (men)/≥85 cm (women), and fatty liver by radiologist-confirmed ultrasonography. Smoking was classified as ever versus never. Variables with a log-rank <i>p</i> < 0.20 were entered into a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 58 participants developed BRVO (0.14% of the cohort; 10-year Kaplan-Meier cumulative incidence, 0.30%). In multivariable analysis, age (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09), hypertension (HR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.30-3.96), overweight/obesity (HR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.39-5.75), and ever smoking (HR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.20-5.79) were independently associated with incident BRVO.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this longitudinal health-screening cohort, baseline ever smoking was independently associated with incident BRVO after adjustment for conventional vascular risk factors. These findings suggest that smoking, a modifiable exposure, may contribute to BRVO risk beyond established determinants, although the small number of events warrants cautious interpretation and confirmation in larger, multicenter studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"668-673"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148670236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visual Functioning and Progression from Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) to Advanced AMD.","authors":"Shruti Patel, Talisa E de Carlo Forest, Andres Lisker-Cervantes, Ramya Gnanaraj, Anne M Lynch, Naresh Mandava, Marc T Mathias, Niranjan Manoharan, Jennifer L Patnaik","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2702462","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2702462","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To investigate whether the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) can predict the progression of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD) to advanced non-neovascular (NNV) or neovascular (NV).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>380 patients aged 55-99 years with iAMD in one or both eyes and no evidence of geographic atrophy (GA) or NV AMD in either eye were enrolled (2014-2023 into the University of Colorado AMD registry) with follow-up through November 2024. AMD classification and progression were based on multimodal imaging review by two vitreoretinal surgeons. Baseline visual acuity (LogMAR) and VFQ-25 scores were collected at enrollment. Cox proportional hazards models assessed time to progression. Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated significant VFQ-25 subscales.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 380 iAMD participants (mean age 76.1 years, 95.8% white), 131 (34.5%) progressed to advanced AMD over a median 32-month follow up (SD- 27). Worse baseline LogMAR in both the better- (HR: 6.39, 95% CI: 1.57-26; <i>p</i> = 0.001) and worse- (HR: 2.64, 95% CI: 1.26-5.55; <i>p</i> = 0.010) seeing eyes predicted progression. Lower baseline VFQ-25 general vision (HR: 0.84 per 10-point increase, 95% CI: 0.74-0.95, <i>p</i> = 0.006) and distance activities scores (HR: 0.89 per 10-point increase, 95% CI: 0.80-0.98, <i>p</i> = 0.019) predicted progression during follow-up. In multivariable analysis adjusting for age and LogMAR for both eyes, this remained significant for general vision (HR: 0.85, 95% CI:0.75-0.98, <i>p</i> = 0.022). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed faster progression for patients with baseline general vision and distance activity subscores below 85 (<i>p</i> = 0.013 and <i>p</i> = 0.011, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Lower NEI-VFQ-25 general vision subscale scores independently predicted progression to advanced AMD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"674-681"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13410992/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148562597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Adoption of Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy After Introduction of Medicare Billing Code 92229.","authors":"Saharsh Satheesh, Randy Calotti, Henry Bair","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2714988","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2714988","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Diabetic retinopathy remains a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) systems for screening have received US Food and Drug Administration authorization, and a dedicated Medicare billing code for autonomous point-of-care retinal screening was introduced in 2021. This study aimed to characterize observed utilization, billing National Provider Identifier (NPI) uptake, provider-type distribution, and geographic spread of autonomous AI screening in Medicare from 2021 to 2023.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study performed a retrospective descriptive analysis of the 2021-2023 Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners-by Provider and Service public-use files. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 92229 was the primary focus, with CPT 92227 and 92228 included as contextual comparators.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Autonomous AI screening increased nearly tenfold, from 143 services in 2021 to 1,427 in 2023. Unique billing NPIs increased from 5 to 39. Optometry accounted for 57.7% of services, followed by family practice (13.9%), endocrinology (12.5%), and internal medicine (11.9%). The number of states with observed use increased from 3 to 16, and urban providers accounted for 96.6% of observed services. In 2023, observed use corresponded to approximately 15.3 services per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries identified as having diabetes using fee-for-service claims. Estimated Medicare payments captured in the file increased from $3,538 to $42,889.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Autonomous AI screening showed rapid early growth in Medicare Part B after introduction of code 92229, with expansion across billing NPIs, provider types, and states. Absolute use nonetheless remained small, indicating early billing uptake rather than meaningful population penetration.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"652-659"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148674239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Why the Divide? A Demographic Comparison of Eye Care Providers in Rural and Urban Counties.","authors":"David Mothy, Aneesh Reddy, Hassaam S Choudhry, Albert S Khouri","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2723086","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2723086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To characterize the geographic distribution of eye care providers across rural and urban United States (U.S.) counties and compare provider demographics, reimbursement, and patient populations between rurality strata.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The 2022 Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners database was used to identify all participating ophthalmologists and optometrists. Demographic and Medicare reimbursement data were then merged with the National Downloadable File for gender and graduation year. Provider addresses were geocoded and mapped to U.S. counties using ArcGIS Pro. Counties were classified as rural (≥90% rural population), mostly rural (≥50%), or mostly urban (<50%) based on 2020 Census data. Provider characteristics, service volume, and reimbursement was compared across rurality categories.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ophthalmologist density was highest in mostly urban counties (4.12 per 100,000) and lowest in rural counties (0.09; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Optometrist density was more evenly distributed but still greater in mostly urban areas (11.76 vs. 5.13; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Rural ophthalmologists were older (median graduation 1994 vs. 1999; <i>p</i> = 0.031) and more often male (73.3% vs. 72.2%; <i>p</i> < 0.001). They served more Medicare beneficiaries but received less reimbursement than ophthalmologists in mostly urban counties ($276,305.77 vs. $419,480.36; <i>p</i> = 0.030). Rural optometrists were also older, more likely male, and served more beneficiaries, but received higher payments than their mostly urban counterparts ($37,514.23 vs. $28,546.26; <i>p</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Eye care providers remain underrepresented in rural U.S. counties, with an aging rural workforce and lower Medicare reimbursement further threatening the long-term viability of rural eye care services. Targeted intervention strategies are required to address existing inequities in access to care.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"714-722"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148819248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Utility of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Biomarkers in Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy.","authors":"Kieran Kumanan, Abolfazl Hassani, Muhammad Husnain, Elias Papaefstratiou, Jose J Estevez","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2719732","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2719732","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate associations between optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) metrics and diabetic retinopathy (DR) and compare their discrimination against conventional clinical risk factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, 108 adult eyes with diabetes were recruited from tertiary ophthalmology/optometry clinics. DR was clinically graded using ETDRS categories and dichotomised as no DR vs ≥ mild NPDR (primary outcome). Macular 6 × 6 mm OCT-A (Zeiss AngioPlex™) was acquired; scans with signal strength > 7 and without major artefact were included. Quantitative metrics from the superficial capillary plexus included vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) (central/inner/outer/full regions); structural OCT measures and FAZ parameters were secondary. Associations with ≥mild NPDR were assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, HbA1c, and diabetes duration. Discrimination was evaluated with ROC curves/AUC (95% CI) and DeLong comparisons of AUCs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>≥Mild DR was present in 63% of eyes. DR was associated with lower VD (central, inner, outer, full) and lower PD (central, inner, full) (all <i>p</i> ≤ 0.04). After adjustment, central VD (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.68-0.98) and central PD (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.99) remained independently associated with DR. The OCT-A model showed moderate discrimination compared to the clinical model (AUC 0.72 vs 0.65); the combined model yielded AUC 0.75.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Central VD and PD from the superficial plexus are independently associated with DR and show moderate discrimination versus conventional clinical factors alone, supporting OCT-A as an adjunctive biomarker for earlier DR detection.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"634-642"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148796294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retinal Vascular Parameters and Their Determinants in Healthy Turkish Children Aged 2-10 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Ata Baytaroğlu, Şerife Nur Çiftci, Mesut Saka, Suzan Doğruya, Hatice Daldal","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2751942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2026.2751942","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To provide normative values for retinal vascular parameters and their determinants in healthy Turkish children aged 2 to 10 years.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, 513 healthy children (247 girls, 266 boys) attending outpatient clinics for routine or well-child visits were enrolled. The left eye was studied by protocol. After mydriasis, fundus photographs were taken with a Canon CX-1 camera, and CRAE, CRVE, and the arteriole-to-vein ratio from equivalents (AVRe) were derived by the Knudtson-Parr-Hubbard formulas within the RMHAS module and reported in pixels. Multivariable regression examined AVRe, and separately CRAE and CRVE, against age, sex, body mass index (BMI), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and intraocular pressure (IOP), with axial length as a covariate in the caliber models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age was 5.82 ± 2.38 years. AVRe was 0.677, CRAE 15.70 px, and CRVE 23.24 px. AVRe decreased with age (trend β = -0.0039 per year, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Lower AVRe was independently associated with higher MAP (β = -0.0009, <i>p</i> = 0.002) and higher IOP (β = 0.0017, <i>p</i> = 0.013). MAP was associated with narrower CRAE (<i>p</i> < 0.001) but not CRVE, and IOP with wider CRAE (<i>p</i> = 0.008), indicating that both associations acted through the arteriolar compartment. The age-group × MAP and age-group × IOP interactions were not significant. Sex and BMI showed no association.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides age-specific normative retinal vascular values for Turkish children. The age-related decline of AVRe and its inverse association with blood pressure, driven by arteriolar narrowing, support retinal vessel measurement as a marker of microvascular health in young children.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149228463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What Are the Impacts of Immunoglobulin a Vasculitis on Choroidal Vascularity and Subfoveal Thickness in Children.","authors":"Gizem Gürbostan Soysal, Sevim Ayca Seyyar, İbrahim Edhem Yılmaz, Levent Doğan, Murat Mercanlı, Kıvanç Güngör, Ayşegül Çömez, Ayşe Tanatar","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2748441","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2026.2748441","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate choroidal structural and vascular changes in children with Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective cross-sectional study included 90 eyes of 41 children diagnosed with IgAV and 49 age-matched healthy controls. All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examination and OCT imaging. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) values were significantly lower in the patient group compared to the healthy group (<i>p</i> = 0.017, <i>p</i> = 0.018, respectively). SFCT and CVI were negatively correlated with disease activation and duration, respectively (<i>r</i> = -0.614 <i>p</i> < 0.001; <i>r</i> = -0.377 <i>p</i> < 0.05, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Children with IgAV demonstrated significantly reduced SFCT and CVI compared with healthy controls. These findings indicate the presence of choroidal structural and vascular alterations in IgAV, even in the absence of clinically apparent ocular pathology.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149228434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eyes on Transit: Disparities in Accessing Eye Care by Public Transportation in Virginia.","authors":"Grace L Casado, Shashank Karki, Vishak J John, Junghwan Kim, Mengxi Zhang","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2734501","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2026.2734501","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to calculate geospatial accessibility to optometrist and ophthalmologist using public transportation in Virginia, and to measure the sociodemographic factors associated with accessibility.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated one-way public transit travel time and population-weighted accessibility score, defined as the number of eye care centers (optometry and ophthalmology) reachable within a one-hour walk or a two-hour transit commute, across seven regions in Virginia. Both objective and perceived (\"feels-like\") accessibility measures were calculated. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare accessibility between optometry and ophthalmology services, and spatial error models were used to examine socioeconomic factors associated with accessibility score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean of the weighted one-way transit time to an ECC in Virginia was 81 min. 62% of the trip was due to time spent outside the vehicle (e.g. walking to or waiting at stops). The mean of the weighted accessibility score for ECCs was 9.22. On average, the proportion of the population that could reach at least one ophthalmologist within an hour was 53% compared to 71% for an optometrist. Accessibility scores for all ECCs were associated with population density and racial diversity, but no relationship was seen with poverty.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Eye care in Virginia is grossly inaccessible by public transportation. Compared to optometric care, there is limited access to ophthalmologic care. Tailored interventions accounting for local characteristics should be considered to address transit disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149195981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Effectiveness of an Optometrist-Led Asynchronous Virtual Ophthalmology Service for Stable Eye Conditions Within the Singapore Eye Care Landscape.","authors":"Devy Anggreni, WanFen Yip, Kelvin Zhenghao Li, Zuoling Quek, Waicheng Soo Hoo, Siti Nurafra Binte Jumahat, E-Xin Chong, Yussyafiqah Binte Yusof, Vivien Cherng-Hui Yip","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2026.2745928","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2026.2745928","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The Virtual Ophthalmology Service (TVOS) is an optometrist-led virtual ophthalmology service designed to reduce physical consultations for patients with stable eye conditions. However, evidence on care quality, efficiency, and patient feedback remains limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and patient acceptability of an optometrist-led asynchronous TVOS through a real-world service evaluation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>TVOS case notes between 2020 and 2023 were retrospectively extracted. Care quality was assessed using concordance of the overall management plan and Cohen's kappa of management plan components. Discordance was defined as a disagreement between optometrists and ophthalmologists in the management plan (e.g. follow-up location or duration). Turnaround time (TAT) and patient satisfaction were analysed using separate audit data. TAT, the total duration of a patient's clinic visit, was measured from the time of registration to the time of payment, and patient satisfaction was assessed through a structured satisfaction questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 2629 records were included in the final analysis. High overall concordance (91.4%) for the management plan, with strong agreement (Cohen's kappa: 0.87-0.94) on the management components, was observed. Among discordant cases, optometrists recommended a shorter follow-up duration than ophthalmologists in 75.4% of cases and a higher level of care for follow-up location in 44.4% of cases. The median waiting time was 24.6 min, and the median TAT was 36.6 min. Overall, 88.6% of the respondents were satisfied with the TVOS service, and 95.7% were satisfied with its efficiency.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TVOS provided high-quality care with high patient satisfaction. These findings support TVOS as a feasible and safe model for improving efficiency and access to eye care.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149183779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}