Abstract
Purpose :
The Macustat, a digital ophthalmic exam to assess retinal function that can be accessed by anyone with a personal electronic device, has been a solution to the need for remote monitoring, made apparent by the COVID-19 pandemic. We previously reported that the clinical findings made from the Macustat is comparable to that of in-office visual exams. However, patient satisfaction (a key marker for user compliance) remains ambiguous. The aim of this study is to assess the utility of the Macustat from the patient’s perspective.
Methods :
Thirty-four patients who have been using the Macustat test for at least 60 days between July and December of 2022 were chosen to be included in this study. A survey was administered to participants to assess their perception of the utility of the remote monitoring program. Patients were asked to choose between five options (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree) to questions that gauged user-friendliness of the platform, patient confidence in remote monitoring, and platform impact on the patient-doctor relationship. Lastly, patients were asked to rate the remote monitoring program on a numeric basis.
Results :
Out of all participants, 88% agree or strongly agree that the Macustat is “easy to do.” Patients showed high confidence in remote monitoring with 76% agreeing that the tests were worth their time, 65% agreeing that it increases peace of mind, and 59% agreeing that remote monitoring provides better care than in-person visits alone. Remote monitoring also generally improves doctor-patient relationships with 53% reporting that it increases confidence in doctors and 47% agreeing that they feel more connected with their doctors. Overall, 76% of the participants rated the Macustat 4 out of 5 or higher for their general experience, and 71% would recommend it to other patients.
Conclusions :
We report one of the first studies that assess patient satisfaction and outcomes of the use of a digital platform to monitor chronic disease progression for retina patients. The Macustat test for retinal function is user-friendly and increases participants’ confidence in digital remote monitoring programs without compromising the doctor-patient relationship. At home monitoring via Macustat has potential to improve both quality of care and patient experiences with medicine.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.