Abstract
Purpose :
Gauge the impact of digital medicine and associated tools on glaucoma management and medication adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods :
The study was conducted at EyeCare Consultants of New Jersey’s two locations in Woodland Park and Edison, NJ. Eye care professionals (ECPs) (two ophthalmologists & two optometrists) surveyed 100 glaucoma patients during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March - August 2020). All those surveyed received previous digital instruction with CheckedUp, a patient education digital platform utilizing auditory, visual, and touch elements to engage patients with eyecare education during prior in-person visits. All patients were randomized into two groups: Group 1 received traditional phone calls while Group 2 received video calls (video with ECP and screen share of CheckedUp) during the pandemic to ensure adherence with ocular medications and address acute issues during this time period. All patients in Group 2 were shown the same glaucoma educational videos in English using the CheckedUp platform. Both groups received follow-up with an in-person visit in August. Surveys elicited responses to gauge consistency of ocular medication use.
Results :
Adherence was defined as daily compliance with the glaucoma medication throughout the five-month period. The survey results demonstrated a significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2. Adherence during months without in-person office visits were compared to self-reported adherence for the same five-month time period in the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Group 1’s overall adherence was 64% (32/50 patients) at the August in-person visit and revealed that several patients used their drops inconsistently or differently from their prescribed regimen. Group 2’s overall adherence was 90% (45/50 patients) at the August in-person visit and patients demonstrated continued comprehension of glaucoma risk and the importance of consistent medication use. A majority of Group 2 patients also commented that the ECP video call with CheckedUp helped reinforce the importance of eye pressure control in glaucoma.
Conclusions :
This study illustrates the ability of digital medicine platforms to supplement in-person office visits to manage glaucoma, even during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Compliance remains an important issue in the medical management of glaucoma and digital solutions like CheckedUp assist with optimizing patient care.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.