![]() ![]() Furthermore, in contrast to the overall rebound in patient visits that began in late April, the decline in the Northeast persisted through late June. However, a state-by-state analysis found that the largest decline in patient visit volume during the spring slowdown occurred in the Northeast region of the US. ![]() Whereas in January through March, visits to retina subspecialists accounted for approximately 20% of the total visits, their share of the total volume had nearly doubled in April, reaching 38.5%.Īdditional analyses considered potential geographic variations in the visit trends and showed no differences between providers in urban, suburban, or rural locations. The results indicated that retina subspecialists continued to care for the urgent/emergent patients with vision-threatening conditions as the retina practices accounted for an increased percentage of overall patient visits at the height of the visit slowdown in April. Commenting on the similarity, Schwartz said that it showed both groups of patients had their issues prioritized above any perceived COVID-19 exposure risk.Īnother analysis investigated changes in patient visits to retina practices versus to non-retina specialists and optometrists. “Clearly the letter from AAO leadership was the seminal event modifying our behavior as a specialty,” Schwartz said.įurther analyses showed parallel patterns in the numbers of visits for new and returning patients. The decline continued, reaching a trough on April 10th at approximately 34,000 visits per day, and then began to rebound as areas of the country began to open up. Analyses of daily patient visits from January through Jshowed a decrease in the pre-pandemic volume, which averaged 214,000 visits per day, immediately after March 18th. Parke II, MD, AAO Chief Executive Officer, stated it was essential that all ophthalmologists cease providing treatment other than urgent or emergent care. The AAO letter on March 18, 2020, which came from David W. Theodore Leng, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, led the analysis team for this research at Verana Health, where he is a consulting ophthalmologist. Schwartz is on the Board of Directors of Verana Health and one of the founding directors. The analyses were conducted by Verana Health, the end-to-end data and technology partner for the AAO IRIS Registry. We were interested in determining how ophthalmology responded to the pandemic and if the interruption it caused to in-person visits led to patient harm,” he said. “Ultimately we all strive to improve patient care in our practice of ophthalmology. ![]() “Data pertaining to anti-VEGF injections for patients with highly active disease suggest they received careful, individualized management without an adverse effect on their visual outcomes.”Īlthough individual ophthalmologists may vary in their experiences and perceptions of how the pandemic affected their patients and practices, the analyses of the IRIS Registry data sought to gain broader insight on these issues by analyzing real-world evidence, Schwartz explained. “The investigation showed a decrease in patient visit volume following the release of the AAO statement on March 18, 2020, but also suggested that urgent and emergent patients were appropriately prioritized and well cared for,” said Schwartz, Ahmanson Chair in Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles. Analyses of data collected in the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Registry suggest that US ophthalmologists, and specifically retina subspecialists, responded appropriately to patient-care guidelines issued by AAO leadership at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Steven D.
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