Vision and Eye Research Institute (VERI), Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Vision and Hearing Sciences Research Centre, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2021 Mar;41(2):378-392. doi: 10.1111/opo.12786. Epub 2021 Feb 2.
In late 2019, a new coronavirus capable of infecting humans, SARS-CoV-2, was identified in Wuhan, China. The resultant respiratory disease was subsequently named COVID-19. In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care optometry practices only remained open to deliver essential or emergency eye care. This study aimed to characterise the experiences of United Kingdom (UK)-based primary care optometrists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An email invitation to participate in an online cross-sectional survey was sent to 3000 UK-based, currently practicing members of The College of Optometrists (UK). Responses to the structured questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, means and standard deviations. Frequency analyses were used to evaluate items with multiple responses. Free-text responses were examined using thematic analyses.
After data cleaning, a total of 1250 responses remained. Sixty-three percent were female, 70% self-identified as being of white ethnicity and 78% were based in England. During the first national lockdown, over half of all respondents were involved with the provision of remote consultations for emergency/urgent care. The majority felt 'very'/'moderately' comfortable conducting remote consultations, but 66% felt professional liability was increased. Forty percent were involved in the provision of face-to-face consultations. Eye-health and vision-related problems were the most commonly reported patient issues during both remote and face-to-face consultations, while contact-lens related problems were the least. Thematic analysis of the responses showed several challenges adjusting to the pandemic (e.g., working safely), but also some potential benefits (e.g., increased skills).
The findings provide an overview of changes to optometric practice in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results may be used to inform the development of professional guidance and facilitate resource allocation for safe and effective eye care during this and any future pandemics.
2019 年末，在中国武汉发现了一种能够感染人类的新型冠状病毒，即 SARS-CoV-2。由此产生的呼吸道疾病随后被命名为 COVID-19。2020 年 3 月，为应对 COVID-19 大流行，初级保健视光实践仅保持开放，以提供基本或紧急眼部护理。本研究旨在描述英国（UK）初级保健视光师在 COVID-19 大流行期间的经历。
向目前在英国行医的 3000 名英国视光师协会（UK）成员发送了参加在线横断面调查的电子邮件邀请。使用描述性统计方法（包括频率、平均值和标准差）分析对结构化问卷的答复。使用频数分析评估具有多个回复的项目。使用主题分析检查自由文本回复。
经过数据清理，共有 1250 份回复。63%为女性，70%自认为是白人，78%在英格兰。在第一次全国封锁期间，超过一半的受访者参与了紧急/紧急护理的远程咨询。大多数人表示非常/适度舒适进行远程咨询，但 66%的人认为专业责任增加。40%的人参与了面对面咨询。在远程和面对面咨询中，最常报告的患者问题是眼部健康和视力相关问题，而与隐形眼镜相关的问题最少。对回复的主题分析显示，适应大流行（例如，安全工作）存在一些挑战，但也有一些潜在的好处（例如，增加技能）。
这些发现概述了 COVID-19 大流行期间英国视光实践的变化。研究结果可用于为安全有效的眼部护理提供专业指导和促进资源分配，并为今后任何大流行提供参考。
