Utility of teleconsultation in accessing eye care in a developing country during COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To evaluate the utility of teleconsultation in the provision of eye care services during the COVID-19 lockdown. Disparities in the consultation burden of sub-specialities and socio-demographic differences in teleconsultation utilization were also assessed.

Methods

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Rawalpindi began audio and video teleconsultation using broadband telecommunication services during the lockdown. Patients' and consultations' data gathered during the first three weeks after the commencement of this programme were compared with data from the four weeks prior to lockdown. The weekly consultation ratio and overall consultation burden of sub-specialities were measured. Chi-Square tests of association determined the relationship between different variables (socioe

SUBMITTER: Mansoor H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7808582 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature