June 2021
Volume 62, Issue 8
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2021
Impact of COVID-19-related lockdown on intravitreal injection clinic in an academic institution
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Vivian Paraskevi Douglas
    Retina, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Harvard Retinal Imaging Lab, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Konstantinos A.A. Douglas
    Retina, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Harvard Retinal Imaging Lab, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Demetrios G. Vavvas
    Retina, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Joan W Miller
    Retina, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • John Miller
    Retina, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Harvard Retinal Imaging Lab, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Vivian Paraskevi Douglas, None; Konstantinos Douglas, None; Demetrios Vavvas, None; Joan Miller, Drusolv Therapeutics (S), Genentech/Roche (C), Genentech/Roche (R), Heidelberg Engineering (C), Heidelberg Engineering (R), KalVista Pharmaceuticals (C), KalVista Pharmaceuticals (R), Lowy Medical Research Institute (F), ONL Therapeutics (C), ONL Therapeutics (P), ONL Therapeutics (R), Sunovion (C), Sunovion (R), Valeant Pharmaceuticals/Mass. Eye and Ear (P), Valeant Pharmaceuticals/Mass. Eye and Ear (R); John Miller, Alcon (C), Allergan (C), Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. (C), Genentech (C), Heidelberg Engineering, Inc. (C)
  • Footnotes
    Support  None
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2021, Vol.62, 1749. doi:
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      Vivian Paraskevi Douglas, Konstantinos A.A. Douglas, Demetrios G. Vavvas, Joan W Miller, John Miller; Impact of COVID-19-related lockdown on intravitreal injection clinic in an academic institution. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2021;62(8):1749.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : We sought to analyze the changes in clinical care following the restrictions that were implemented in Massachusetts in response to COVID-19 pandemic as well as to depict the visual outcomes in patients receiving intravitreal injections as part of a treatment regimen for either exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), central or branch retinal vein occlusion (CRVO, BRVO).

Methods : A retrospective analysis of the intravitreal injection clinics of three retina specialists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear from December 2019 to June 2020 was performed. Demographic data of patients with either wet AMD, DR, CRVO or BRVO were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to quantitatively summarize the features of our cohort and box plots to illustrate the spread and differences of visual acuity among groups over time.

Results : A total of 1,086 visits were scheduled within this period and more than a quarter of these visits were not completed [801 (74%) completed vs 285 (26%) cancel or no show; p=0.000]. The mean age of our cohort was 72.5±13.2 years (males: 72.48±13.2; females: 74±12.4; p=0.0524). Out of 259 cancel visits, 240 visits (93%) were canceled by the patients and 19 visits (7%) by the provider/institution (p=0.000). There was no significant difference in the appointment status (completed, cancel, no show) among males and females, among different providers, or diagnoses (p=0.225, p=0.131 and p=0.234 respectively). Asians and Caucasians were more likely to complete their visits (80% and 74% respectively) compared to patients of Hispanic, African American and American Indian ethnicities where more cancel/no show visits were observed (40%, 29% and 29% respectively; p=0.002). The highest numbers of cancel/no show appointments were reported in March (48.8%) and April (45.6%) and were significantly different when compared to the other months (p=0.000).

Conclusions : Intravitreal therapy is the standard care for a variety of retinal disorders and adherence to the proposed treatment regimen is important to maximize the visual acuity benefits and maintain the gains in the long term. In this cohort it was noted that vast majority of visits were canceled by the patients whereas underrepresented minorities were more likely not to complete their scheduled visits which could be partially explained by the fact that these groups are also disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.

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