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Tele-Neuro-Ophthalmology Utilization, Availability, and Attitudes: Update 1 Year into the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, ISSN: 1536-5166, Vol: 43, Issue: 1, Page: 40-47
2023
  • 8
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 18
    Captures
  • 1
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

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Investigators from Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center Zero in on Telemedicine (Tele-neuro-ophthalmology Utilization, Availability, and Attitudes: Update 1 Year Into the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency)

2023 APR 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx COVID-19 Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Telemedicine. According to news

Article Description

Background:Telehealth was rapidly adopted early in the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to provide medical care while reducing risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission. Since then, telehealth utilization has evolved differentially according to subspecialty. This study assessed changes in neuro-ophthalmology during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:Telehealth utilization and opinions pre-COVID-19, early pandemic (spring 2020), and 1 year later (spring 2021) were surveyed among practicing neuro-ophthalmologists in and outside the United States using an online platform. Demographics, self-reported utilization, perceived benefits, barriers, and examination suitability were collected over a 2-week period in May 2021.Results:A total of 135 practicing neuro-ophthalmologists (81.5% United States, 47.4% females, median age 45-54 years) completed the survey. The proportion of participants using video visits remained elevated during COVID + 1 year (50.8%) compared with pre-COVID (6%, P < 0.0005, McNemar), although decreased compared with early COVID (67%, P < 0.0005). Video visits were the most commonly used methodology. The proportion of participants using remote testing (42.2% vs 46.2%), virtual second opinions (14.5% vs 11.9%, P = 0.45), and eConsults (13.5% vs 16.2%, P = 0.38) remained similar between early and COVID + 1 year (P = 0.25). The majority selected increased access to care, better continuity of care, and enhanced patient appointment efficiency as benefits, whereas reimbursement, liability, disruption of in-person clinic flow, limitations of video examinations, and patient technology use were barriers. Many participants deemed many neuro-ophthalmic examination elements unsuitable when collected during a live video session, although participants believed some examination components could be evaluated adequately through a review of ancillary testing or outside records.Conclusions:One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, neuro-ophthalmologists maintained telemedicine utilization at rates higher than prepandemic levels. Tele-neuro-ophthalmology remains a valuable tool in augmenting patient care.

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