Abstract
Purpose :
To assess national and international internet search trends and public interest in refractive diseases and interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to existing trends prior to the pandemic.
Methods :
A Google Trends search for refractive terms was performed between the time periods of January 1, 2016 to November 1, 2020. Refractive terms were divided into two groups: disease terms and procedure/treatment terms. Relative search volume (RSV) indices for refractive terms were assessed in the United States (US) and worldwide from the initial 18-week COVID-19 pandemic period (March 1, 2020 to July 4, 2020) and the subsequent 18-week period. (July 5, 2020 to November 1, 2020) These results were compared to pooled data of overlapping weeks between 2016-2019. A t-test of two independent samples assuming unequal variances was utilized to compare the two groups.
Results :
The relative public interest in refractive disease and procedure/treatment terms showed a sharp decline in the initial 18-weeks of the pandemic with a slow increase over the following 18-weeks compared to prior to the pandemic (Figure 1). There was a statistically significant decrease in mean RSV for multiple refractive disease terms (near far sighted/sightedness, keratoconus, hyperopia, cataract, astigmatism, myopia, near sighted/sightedness, blurry/blurred vision) and refractive procedure/treatment terms (intraocular lens, LASIK, cataract surgery/removal/extraction, LASEK, contact lens/lenses) both in the US and worldwide in 2020 compared to 2016-2019.
Conclusions :
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic correlates with declining relative popularity of searches related to refractive disease and elective refractive procedures/treatments. Declining interest in refractive diseases and treatments may lead to poorer health literacy, delay in care, and potentially worse outcomes for these conditions.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.