Author: Alexandros Charonis (Greece)
Co-authors: Nikolaos Lafioniatis, Aglaia Korompilia, Gerasimia Panitsa, Spyros Kanellopoulos, Evita Kiskira, Emmanouil Mavrikakis
Purpose
To record and analyze the practice patterns of intravitreal injections during the lockdown phase of the pandemic in two health care settings in a metropolitan city
Setting/Venue
G Gennimatas Athens General Hospital NHS Trust, Athens, Greece, Athens Vision Eye Institute, Athens, Greece
Methods
Retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study.
Results
218 patients received a total of 249 injections over the 6-week period of the first lockdown, as compared to 292 patients and 369 injections over the same time frame the year prior (overall -32.8% in the number of injections). While the demographics of both cohorts remained stable, a significant increase in the “no show” events was observed (15.6% vs 7.4%, p <0.05) driven by the public venue (-19.2% vs -0.8%). In terms of per disease practice analysis, a similar drop of injections was recorded in the AMD cohort in both venues (-20% vs -19.3%) as well as the DR cohort, albeit more pronounced in the latter (-30.5% vs -48%). Most patients in the public venue initiated treatment, whereas most in the private venue continued treatment in predefined, fixed intervals. A similar drop was observed in the percentage of patients residing outside of the Attica prefecture (-10% in both venues).
Conlusions
The first lockdown resulted in a significant drop in the number of intravitreal injections in both the public and the private health sector, while the preset prioritization of injections resulted in a more pronounced decrease in the number of treatments for the complications of diabetic retinopathy. Interestingly, the number of “no show” events were significantly higher in the public venue, and further comparative analysis of the particulate measures targeting patient compliance is presented herein.
Financial Disclosure
none
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