Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on visual outcomes of diabetic macular edema patients at a tertiary care veterans affairs center.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

There are limited studies on factors that impacted retina clinic patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate visual and anatomic outcomes in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) requiring anti-VEGF injections at the veterans' affairs tertiary care eye clinic in Houston, TX.

Methods

Patient volume from April 2020 was compared to that of April 2019 to determine attendance changes. To evaluate outcomes, we reviewed patients with DME who had scheduled appointments during April 2020. We tracked changes in central foveal thickness (CFT) and Snellen visual acuity (VA) measurements. Patient outcomes were classified as poor (defined as worsening VA or CFT at follow-up) or good (no worsening of either at follow-up). Regression analysis identified

SUBMITTER: Zhou P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9098215 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature