A greater rate of intravitreal injection appointments were delayed last year, causing worse patient scores in BCVA and OTC.
New findings presented at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 2021 Scientific Meeting this weekend showed the rate of delayed care that included intravitreal injections increased by 17% during the pandemic. During that time, impacted patients’ eyes worsened on scores including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
Presented by William E. Smiddy, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Miami, the research sought to determine the “secondary effects and associations with patients who delayed care for injection-based therapy during COVID-19 restrictions.”
Smiddy and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of a single-provider outpatient clinic with varied satellite offices. Their observed population was patients receiving intravitreal care for an ophthalmic disease, with return visits being defined as either delayed or undelayed during a 6-week assessment interval during a period of the pandemic that included mandated prohibition of elective encounters….
Read More: https://www.hcplive.com/view/covid-19-delays-retina-care-worse-vision-outcomes?fbclid=IwAR0iUsR_LCQ2JUFtP5vN8kRVpo4D5mgmIGefQVZNI0Q9Glf1c2y4RRVD5-s
Source: HCP Live