A pilot study on the perspectives of pediatric ophthalmologists and their patients towards online consultation during COVID-19 lockdown in India

Kothari, Mihir; Rathod, Vivek; Sugathan, Susha; Kothari, Megha M

doi:10.4103/ijo.ijo_1306_20

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The perspectives of physicians, trainees, and industry during COVID-19 have been extensively published, 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 but the literature on the perspectives of visually-impaired patients has been limited. 11 , 20 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals Across the Spectrum of Visual Impairment

Shalaby

Odayappan

Venkatesh

et al. 2021

American Journal of Ophthalmology

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Purpose : To assess perceptions and implications of COVID-19 across the spectrum of visual impairment (VI) and normally-sighted individuals Design : Prospective cross-sectional comparative study. Method : XXXXXX Setting : Institutional. Patients : 232 patients and their caregivers. Four groups were created based on better eye characteristics: blind (best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) < 3/60 or visual field < 10 central degrees), severe VI (3/60 ≤ BCDVA < 6/60, vertical cup-to-disc ratio ≥ 0.85 or neuroretinal rim width ≤ 0.1), moderate VI (6/60 ≤ BCDVA < 6/18), or no/mild VI (controls, BCDVA ≥ 6/18) based on International Classification of Diseases-10 criteria and Foster and Quigley's consensus definition of glaucoma. Procedure : Telephone questionnaires. Main Outcomes and Measures : Differences in perceptions and implications of COVID-19 across various levels of VI. Caregiver perceptions were a secondary outcome measure. Results : Survey was completed by 232 participants, with 58 participants in each VI group. Mean age was 58.9 years ± 13.2. Greater degrees of VI were associated with older age (P=0.008) and lower education level (P=0.046). Blind participants more commonly perceived vision as a risk factor for contracting COVID-19 (P=0.045), were concerned about access to healthcare (P<0.001), obtained news through word of mouth (P<0.001), and less commonly wore masks (P=0.003). Controls more commonly performed frequent handwashing (P=0.001), were aware of telemedicine (P=0.029), and had fewer concerns about social interactions (P=0.020) compared to groups with substantial VI. All caregivers reported more frequent patient care since COVID-19 began. Conclusions : The pandemic may have a disproportionate impact on the visually-impaired, and evidence-based assessments of COVID-19 health outcomes in this population are warranted.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals Across the Spectrum of Visual Impairment

Shalaby

Odayappan

Venkatesh

et al. 2021

American Journal of Ophthalmology

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“…Comparatively, patient attitudes regarding virtual encounters in ophthalmology are less well characterized. Prior investigations have noted patients welcomed the ability to receive persistent care during the pandemic with factors such as ease of use, inexpensiveness, and decreased wait and travel time affecting their satisfaction [10][11][12]. Nonetheless, significant concerns remain regarding the patient-physician relationship and the potential for medical errors [13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telemedicine for Retinal Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey of the Patient Perspective

Patel

Bhagat

et al. 2022

Ophthalmol Ther

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Introduction Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has emerged as a safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional ophthalmology clinic visits. This study evaluated patient attitudes towards telemedicine at a full-service, retina-only practice to identify areas for growth in implementation. Methods A survey was distributed to established patients at University Retina and Macula Associates following the completion of a telemedicine encounter in July 2021. On a 5-point Likert scale, patients compared telemedicine to in-person visits for six domains: ability to ease COVID-related anxiety, efficiency, patient education, quality of care, fulfillment of personal needs, and convenience. Pearson’s χ 2 and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess correlations between demographic factors and patient attitudes or preference towards telemedicine. Results Among 103 respondents, two-thirds (68.7%) preferred in-person compared to telemedicine encounters. Overall, patients had a neutral attitude towards telemedicine [mean Likert rating (SD) = 3.11/5 ± 0.82]. Questions assessing “patient education” and “telemedicine efficiency” received the greatest proportion of positive and negative responses, respectively. Positive attitudes were more frequent among patients with prior telemedicine experience (87.5%) compared to never-users (71.8%; p = 0.046). Patients ≥ 75 years old tended to negatively assess telemedicine regarding reduction of COVID-19-related anxiety, efficiency, patient education, and physician facetime ( p < 0.05 for all). A positive but non-significant trend was observed between higher education level and positive attitude towards telemedicine ( p = 0.18). Telehealth never-users more often negatively rated receiving adequate facetime with the physician virtually (54.7%) compared to prior users (25.6%; p = 0.004). Younger age, prior history of telemedicine use, and higher education level were associated with increased preference for telemedicine ( p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Our findings revealed hesitance remains among patients towards adoption of telemedicine. Targeting age-, experience-, and education-related barriers will be invaluable for increasing acceptance of this healthcare delivery model. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40123-022-00555-2.

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“… 5 Likewise, many patients greatly appreciated being able to receive care via telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. 6 , 7 , 8 Patients reported the highest satisfaction with telemedicine systems that were easy to use, inexpensive, decreased travel time, decreased wait time, and those that resulted in improved communication with their medical provider. 9 , 10 However, participants have noted difficulty establishing rapport with their physician and concern about possible medical errors as potential barriers to using telemedicine.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%