Ophthalmic epidemiology最新文献

{"title":"Open Globe Injury Repairs Among Medicare Beneficiaries from 2011 to 2020.","authors":"Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, Chen Dun, Grant Justin, Martin A Makary, Fasika A Woreta","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2371458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2371458","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To explore patient and surgeon characteristics for open globe injury repairs (OGRs) and rates of subsequent operations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a retrospective cohort design, eyes of patients ≥18 years who underwent OGR among 100% Medicare Fee-For-Service dataset from 2011 to 2020 were included. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes were used to identify OGR. Patient characteristics were reported, and surgeon characteristics were stratified by sex and compared using Chi-square and Student's t-test. Overall rate of subsequent operations was reported, and trends of subsequent operations over time were assessed using Cochrane-Armitage trend test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 16,576 patients with a mean age of 73.89 years (±12.89) underwent OGR. Most patients were White (79.68%, <i>n</i> = 13,207) and 49.44% (<i>n</i> = 8196) were female. More patients resided in a rural area (18.71%; <i>n</i> = 3102) relative to surgeon location (4.51%, <i>n</i> = 748; <i>p</i> < 0.001). A total of 5,898 surgeons performed these OGRs with 77.33% (<i>n</i> = 4,561) male and 22.67% (<i>n</i> = 1,337) female surgeons. Male surgeons performed most of the OGRs (76.35%, <i>n</i> = 12,655; <i>p</i> < 0.001). On average, a surgeon performed a single OGR annually (Mean: 1.08 ± 1.04; Range: 0.11-40). Among all OGRs, 51% (8,452/16,576) had ≥1 subsequent operations in median 29 days (IQR: 10-86), which increased during the last decade from 47% to 51% (<i>p</i> = 0.008).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Geographic and workforce disparities in ocular trauma warrant future investigation. Further studies can also assess the reasons for increase in the incidence of subsequent procedures after OGR over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141860509","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 Continuing Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diabetic Retinopathy Screenings.","authors":"Evan Bilsbury, Marina Mautner Wizentier, Emma Wood, Sean Doherty, James Ledwith, Juan Ding","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2372045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2372045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This retrospective observational study of health claims data seeks to quantify the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on DR screening rates in central Massachusetts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Retrospective claims data from the UMass Memorial Managed Care Network were collected for the years of 2018-2022. Comprehensive and DR screening exams were identified using CPT codes for patients with diabetes. Data were derived from claims submitted by the UMass Memorial Managed Care network to four insurance programs via CPT billing code for comprehensive and DR screening exams for patients with diabetes. Over one million claims for the years 01/2018-05/2022 were collected.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found a significant decrease in unadjusted DR screening rates in the post-lockdown period compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Bivariate analysis revealed a 15.1% decrease in weekly DR screenings during post-lockdown (RR = 0.849, 95% CI = 0.811, 0.888). After adjusting for seasonal variation, the mean weekly DR screening rate was 12% lower in the post-lockdown period, with a 95% CI of 6.1% to 17.5% decrease (Adjusted RR = 0.880, 95% CI = 0.825, 0.939 Stratified analysis based on patient status revealed a significant decrease in adjusted DR screening rates for established patients post-lockdown compared to pre-pandemic (<i>p</i> < 0.0001), while no significant difference was observed for new patients (<i>p</i> > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The impact of COVID-19 on DR screening and treatment rates persisted even after the resumption of non-essential care services, with a discrepancy between new and established patients. Future research should work to identify and overcome the barriers to DR screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141860511","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":"Risk Factors for Developing Neovascular Glaucoma in Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: Two-Year Real-World Study.","authors":"Yu-Bai Chou, Hsin-Ho Chang, Hsun-I Chiu, Yiing-Jenq Chou, Christy Pu","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2370260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2370260","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To explore potential risk factors for the development of neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) over a two-year intensive follow-up period.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study reviewed 1545 patients with CRVO between 2005 and 2019 at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Inclusion was restricted to (1) patients with acute CRVO within 3 months; (2) patients with ocular neovascularization at initial presentation (3) patients had not received any treatment at the time of CRVO; (4) at least bimonthly follow-up schedule over the course of 2 years. The included patients were screened for potential risk factors for developing NVG and assessed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the included 123 patients, the cumulative probability of developing NVG was 26.8% (33/123 cases) in overall follow-up period. The mean interval between the onset of CRVO and NVG was 507 days. Neither macular edema nor central macular thickness at baseline was correlated with the development of NVG (<i>p</i> =.104 and .25, respectively). Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), older age, and poor vision independently played significant risk factors for developing NVG after controlling other covariates. (<i>p</i> =.034, .001, and .013, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patients presenting with CRVO who have comorbidities such as DM, older age, and worse VA warrant closer attention and intensive follow-up for the development of NVG. Additionally, the statistical analysis indicated that the presence of macular edema, increased central macular thickness, CV events, history of glaucoma, and early PRP within 3 months had no significant impact on the likelihood of developing NVG.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141860510","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":"Causative Activities and Prognostic Factors of Open-Globe Injury: A Registry-Based City-Wide Multicentre Study.","authors":"Jung Ho Kim, Hyun Wook Ryoo, Jong-Yeon Kim, Jae Yun Ahn, Sungbae Moon, Haewon Jung, Woo Young Nho","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2372051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2372051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Traumatic globe injury is classified into closed-globe and open-globe injury (OGI); OGI leads to a worse prognosis. We aimed to identify causative activities and prognostic factors of OGI in a metropolitan city in South Korea.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective observational study used a prospective eye-injury registry conducted in Daegu, South Korea, between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2021. We identified epidemiology and visual outcomes of OGI at four tertiary hospitals. Those with the best visual acuity lower than counting fingers at the 6-month follow-up were considered to have poor visual outcome.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 9,208 patients with eye injuries, 282 had OGI. Most OGI patients were male (261, 92.6%), with the largest proportion in their 50s (76, 27.0%). The most frequent causative activity was mowing (59, 20.9%), and poor visual outcome was most seen in assault (7, 87.5%) and sports activity (9, 81.8%). Hammering, metal work, and sports activity were prevalent in those under 30, and mowing was most prevalent in those in their 50s (16, 21.1%) and 60s (29, 40.3%). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, OGI related to traffic accident and sports activity were presented poor prognosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 13.259, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.202-146.205 for traffic accident; aOR 6.801, 95% CI 1.064-43.487 for sports activity).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We need to develop advanced vehicle safety equipment, implement public education promoting seat belt usage and hazards of OGI, establish eye protection standards for key causal activities, and provide eye protection equipment for sports activities and mowing.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141538293","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 Epidemiology and Survival Outcomes of Adult Conjunctival Malignancies in Germany: A Decade-Long Population-Based Analysis (2009-2019).","authors":"Piotr Chlad, Vinodh Kakkassery, Armin Wolf, Christina V Miller, Olaf Strauss, Ahmad Samir Alfaar","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2361170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2361170","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to evaluate the epidemiological patterns, treatment strategies, and survival outcomes of conjunctival malignancies in Germany between 2009 and 2019.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 1,532 cases were analyzed, with the crude incidence rate calculated. The survival rates were investigated using life tables and Cox regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall incidence rate was 1.7 per million. Incidence rates varied across age groups, peaking in the 75+ age group. Carcinomas (43%), melanomas (30%), and lymphomas (20%), were the most prevalent malignancies. Of the total cases with reported treatment, surgical intervention was undertaken in 64.5% of the patients. The 5-year overall survival rates were 90.4% for lymphomas, 73.8% for melanomas, and 72.9% for carcinomas. Age at diagnosis emerged as a significant prognostic factor in the Cox regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides the first population-based incidence data on conjunctival malignancies in Germany, noting a generally low incidence with survival rates comparable to other regions. The findings underscore the importance of consistent reporting and further research into risk factors for a deeper understanding of these malignancies. The study calls for improved reporting systems and further investigations into genetic factors and targeted prevention strategies for high-risk groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141538294","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 Near Work, Physical Activities and Myopia in Korean Adults During COVID-19 Outbreak.","authors":"Minhyoung Han, Jiwon Jeong, Chulhwan Yoon, Youngwoo Kim, Jeongmin Kim, Seungseok Lee, Seonguk Kim, Doyeon Kim, Mi Ah Han","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2354700","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2354700","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigated the relationship between near work hours and myopia in Korean adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used data from the 2021 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Associations between near work time, physical activity, and myopia were assessed using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence of myopia was 60.2% in adults aged 19-59 years. The prevalence of myopia was 46.2% for individuals who used smart devices for less than one hour per day, while it was 68.0% for those who used smart devices for more than four hours. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for myopia was significantly higher among individuals using smart devices for 3 hours (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.08-2.23) or more than 4 hours (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.27-2.42), compared to users with less than 1 hour of usage. Regarding sitting time, the OR for myopia was significantly higher in individuals who sat for more than 12 hours (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.05-2.61) compared to those who sat less than 4 hours.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study found that near work and sitting times were positively associated with myopia. Given the high prevalence of myopia and its implications for serious eye diseases, it is essential to implement measures to manage myopia. Considering the increased near work hours resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to adopt supplementary measures, such as ensuring sufficient rest time for the eyes and adjusting the brightness of lights, to improve eye health.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141311341","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 Sleep Health of Individuals with Visual Impairments: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Soyoung Choi, Grace Kim, J J Pionke","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2361167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2361167","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Amidst the global aging population and an increasing prevalence of visual impairment across all age groups, this study aims to investigate the current state of research on sleep health in visually impaired populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review was conducted to synthesize the existing literature on sleep health and visual impairment. We employed conceptual mapping to identify key research topics, analyzing data from four databases: PubMed (<i>n</i> = 290), CINAHL (<i>n</i> = 81), Scopus (<i>n</i> = 117), and PsycInfo (<i>n</i> = 96). A total of 83 peer-reviewed articles, published from 1977 to August 2023, were included in the review.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our analysis identified 11 distinct eye health conditions including blindness, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, low vision, cataract, retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, optic neuropathy, visual field defects, ocular hypertension, and retinal vein occlusion. Additionally, 8 major sleep problems were recognized: abnormal sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder, sleep apnea, sleep disorders, sleep disturbances, and sleep disordered breathing. The dominant research themes were (1) poor sleep quality in individuals with visual impairments and ophthalmic diseases, (2) high prevalence of sleep issues in patients with ophthalmic diseases, (3) sleep apnea in patients with ophthalmic conditions, and (4) circadian rhythm disruptions in blind individuals.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This review highlights research gaps that, when addressed, could greatly enhance our comprehension of the interplay between visual impairment and sleep health. Bridging these gaps promises to lead to more holistic care strategies, potentially improving vision functioning and rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with visual impairments.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141311342","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":"Physical and Psychosocial Challenges as Predictors of Vision Difficulty in Children: A Nationally Representative Survey Analysis.","authors":"Andrew Mihalache, Ryan S Huang, Nikhil S Patil, Marko M Popovic, Miguel Cruz-Pimentel, Ashwin Mallipatna, Peter J Kertes, Rajeev H Muni, Radha P Kohly","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2354704","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2354704","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To elicit associations between vision difficulties and physical or psychosocial challenges in children in the United States.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Children aged 2-17 years old from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey with data pertaining to vision difficulty were included in our retrospective, population-based analysis. Our primary aim was investigating physical and psychosocial challenges as predictors of vision difficulty. Logistic regression models were performed on Stata version 17.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas). Analyses were accompanied by an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 7,373 children had data pertaining to their level of vision difficulty and were included in our sample. In our multivariable analysis, children with a good/fair (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = [1.31, 2.60], <i>p</i> < 0.01), or poor (OR = 5.08, 95% CI = [1.61, 16.04], <i>p</i> < 0.01) general health status had higher odds of vision difficulty relative to children with an excellent/very good health status. Furthermore, children with difficulties hearing (OR = 8.67, 95% CI = [5.25, 14.31], <i>p</i> < 0.01), communicating (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = [1.18, 3.25], <i>p</i> < 0.01), learning (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = [1.27, 2.93], <i>p</i> < 0.01), and making friends (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = [1.12, 3.36], <i>p</i> = 0.02) had higher odds of vision difficulty. Nonetheless, the following factors were only predictors of vision difficulty in our univariable analysis: requiring equipment for mobility (<i>p</i> < 0.01), experiencing anxiety (<i>p</i> < 0.01), and experiencing depression (<i>p</i> < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Several factors pertaining to physical and psychosocial challenges in children are associated with vision difficulty. Future research should further explore potential causal links between vision difficulty and physical or psychosocial factors to aid in coordinating public health efforts dedicated to vision health equity.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247012","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 Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Adults with Vision Impairment from Low-, Middle- and High-Income Countries.","authors":"Duke Appiah, Hannah Chaudhury, Tristin Chaudhury, Marvelyn Iweh, Obadeh Shabaneh, Noah De La Cruz","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2024.2354695","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2024.2354695","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The limited evidence for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among adults with vision impairment (VI) has often been from developed countries using self-reported VI. This study evaluated the association of objectively-determined VI with the risk of CVD among adults from low-, middle-, and high-income countries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were from 32,268 adults aged 30-74 years without CVD or blindness from China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, South Africa, and the United States during 2007-2010. VI and severe VI was defined as presenting visual acuity worse than 6/18, and 6/60, respectively. The Framingham risk algorithm was used to estimate the risk for incident CVD. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of participants was 46.4 years, with half of them being women (49.3%). The age-adjusted prevalence of VI ranged from 1.1% (United States) to 14.2% (South Africa) while severe VI ranged from 0.4% (United States) to 4.5% (Ghana). In models adjusting for country, sociodemographic factors, waist girth, healthcare use, activities of daily living and other health-related factors, VI was associated with CVD risk ≥ 10% (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.22-2.36). This observed association was largely consistent across countries (<i>p</i> = 0.119). The observed CVD risk was similar among adults with moderate or severe VI (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.50-1.83). CVD risk was higher among adults with VI who were <65 years old (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.36-2.63) or were employed (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.58-3.16).</p><p><strong>Conlusions: </strong>This cross-national study shows that individuals with VI are at high risk for future CVD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247142","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":"Reducing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening: Successful Strategies Learnt from a Multi-Center Tele-Medicine Program in India.","authors":"Anand Vinekar, Ramesh Venkatesh, Shwetha Mangalesh, Chaitra Jayadev, K Bhujang Shetty, Clare Gilbert","doi":"10.1080/09286586.2023.2251147","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09286586.2023.2251147","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Control of blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requires timely screening and treatment within 48-72 h. Anticipating that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic would disrupt ROP services, we devised strategies ''on-the''-go\"\" to ameliorate this possiblity. We describe the successful outcomes of this approach in preventing infant blindness during the pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data on the number of preemies recruited, screened and treated in the Karnataka Internet-assisted Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (KIDROP) program were collected in a retrospective (2019, interval 1) - prospective (2020, interval 2) manner. We summarize 10 key strategies that were developed as we faced logistic, operational and implementation challenges. These included pragmatic methods of enhancing enrolment, transporting for screening and ensuring timely treatment in the outreach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The total number of ROP screening sessions was 20,598 (7,197 new) and 14,371 (5,773 new) during interval 1 and 2 respectively. Of these, 166 (2.3%) and 157 (2.7%) infants required treatment during interval 1 and 2 respectively. All infants needing treatment during the COVID period, were treated on time which was possible due to successful implementation of the 'on-the-go' strategies throughout the state of Karnataka. The fiscal equivalent of the blindness prevented during this period is USD 15.6 million.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The greater decline in the number of ROP screening episodes in neonatal units in government hospitals was because several were converted to 'COVID only\" hospitals. KIDROP's multi-zonal, decentralized strategy, which uses non-physician-based imaging in a telemedicine network, ensured that essential ROP services continued even during the lockdown.</p>","PeriodicalId":19607,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"291-298"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10110512","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}