Abstract
Purpose: To study the use of teleophthalmology as a tool to manage patients with uveitis and to describe the experience of teleconsultation for uveitis at a tertiary eye care hospital in India during the two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A prospective observational case series of uveitis patients seeking teleconsultations during the first (March 25-May 2020) and second lockdown (April 27 to June 21, 2021) in a tertiary eye care center were analyzed.
Results: There were 79 teleconsultations in the first and 89 teleconsultations in the second lockdown. A majority of the patients presented in the age group of 41-60 years in both the lockdowns. There were both new or primary consultations and follow-up patients (6% vs. 94%) in the first lockdown, and similarly in the second lockdown (8% new vs. 92% follow-up). The majority of patients resided in Bengaluru city (78% in the first and 76% in the second lockdown). After evaluation through video consultation, only 15% required a hospital referral in the first lockdown, whereas in the second lockdown, 21.3% were referred to the hospital. During the second lockdown, 20% presented with COVID-19 infection-related ailments.
Conclusion: Based on our preliminary experience using a customized smartphone-based application for teleconsultation, we found it to be an alternative option to provide continuation of ophthalmic care to uveitis patients. Given the current COVID-19 situation, it can help avoid physical visits of uveitis patients to the hospital.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; India; lockdown; teleconsultation; telemedicine; teleophthalmology; uveitis; video consultation.
【저자키워드】 lockdown, COVID-19 pandemic, India, Telemedicine, Uveitis, teleconsultation, teleophthalmology, video consultation., 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, hospital, Patient, age, Follow-up, Care, patients, lockdowns, help, COVID-19 situation, physical, analyzed, the patient, required, case sery, majority, ophthalmic, seeking, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, trend,