Department of Uveitis and Ocular Immunology, Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Indian J Ophthalmol. 2022 Mar;70(3):1007-1012. doi: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_1759_21.
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.
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.
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.
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.
研究远程眼科学作为一种管理葡萄膜炎患者的工具的应用，并描述在印度一家三级眼科保健医院在 COVID-19 大流行的两波疫情期间进行远程葡萄膜炎咨询的经验。
对在三级眼科保健中心在第一波（2020 年 3 月 25 日至 5 月 20 日）和第二波封锁期间（2021 年 4 月 27 日至 6 月 21 日）寻求远程咨询的葡萄膜炎患者进行前瞻性观察性病例系列研究。
在第一波封锁中有 79 次远程咨询，在第二波封锁中有 89 次远程咨询。在两次封锁中，大多数患者的年龄组均为 41-60 岁。在第一次封锁中，既有新的或主要的咨询和随访患者（6%对 94%），在第二次封锁中也有类似情况（8%新对 92%随访）。大多数患者居住在班加罗尔市（第一次封锁为 78%，第二次封锁为 76%）。通过视频咨询评估后，在第一次封锁中只有 15%需要医院转诊，而在第二次封锁中，21.3%被转诊到医院。在第二次封锁期间，20%的患者出现与 COVID-19 感染相关的疾病。
根据我们使用定制的基于智能手机的远程咨询应用程序的初步经验，我们发现它是为葡萄膜炎患者提供眼科护理的替代选择。鉴于当前 COVID-19 情况，它可以帮助避免葡萄膜炎患者到医院就诊。
