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Patient Perspective on the Monitoring of Their Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration during Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Study

Authors :
Georgios N. Tsiropoulos
Rodolphe Vallée
Coraline Calci
Daniela Gallo Castro
Aude Ambresin
Source :
Medicina, Vol 59, Iss 3, p 490 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The purpose was to provide the patients’ perspective on the monitoring of their wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the importance of telemedicine. Materials and Methods: Wet AMD patients that underwent intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections in two Swiss ophthalmology clinics, completed two questionnaires after the first confinement due to COVID-19 in Switzerland. The first evaluated their views concerning their adherence to scheduled injections during the confinement, and the application of telemedicine in the future. The second, adapted from the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25, assessed their opinions on visual function change during confinement. Results: From a total of 130 patients, 8.5% responded they did not respect their assigned schedule (group 1) while 91.5% responded they did (group 2). A total of 78.7% of group 2 considered treatment reception as more relevant compared to the risk of COVID-19 contraction. During the pre-lockdown period, group 2 patients required more help from others than group 1 patients (p = 0.02). In the possibility of another lockdown, 36.3% of group 1 and 8.7% of group 2 would choose telemedicine to monitor their wet AMD (p = 0.02), 54.5% and 86.9% would rather visit the clinic (p = 0.02), while 9.0% and 4.3% would cancel their appointment, respectively. It was found that 70% of group 1 and 33.6% of group 2 would prefer to use the telemedicine services than visiting a telemedicine centre (p = 0.04). Conclusions: During circumstances similar to the COVID-19 confinement, most patients would prefer to visit the clinic. Group 1 would prefer wet AMD monitoring via telemedicine at a higher rate than group 2.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
16489144 and 1010660X
Volume :
59
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Medicina
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.59141054b1cf4898a567359d71800cc4
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59030490