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Changes in Retina Practice Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines
Albert John Bromeo1, Patricia Grulla-Quilendrino1, Sweet Jorlene Lerit1
1Asian Eye Institute, Makati, Philippines.
Insights
Retina specialists in the Philippines reduced clinic services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practice changes, including PPE use and urgent case scheduling, are expected to be long-term adjustments.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retina care
- Public health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare delivery globally.
- Retina specialists faced unique challenges in maintaining patient care while mitigating viral transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate shifts in clinical practice patterns among Philippine retina specialists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To understand the adaptations made in response to public health guidelines and viral spread.
Main Methods:
- A multi-center, cross-sectional study utilizing a self-reported online survey.
- Data collected from retina specialists in the Philippines via convenience and snowball sampling.
- Questionnaire focused on changes in clinic operations, procedures, and future outlooks.
Main Results:
- 48 retina specialists responded, reporting a significant decrease (80-95%) in consults, laser, and surgical procedures.
- Modified clinic protocols included enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) use, altered hours, and prioritization of urgent cases.
- Most respondents anticipate these pandemic-induced practice modifications will persist long-term.
Conclusions:
- Philippine retina specialists adopted practice modifications to ensure patient and staff safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- These changes align with recommendations from local and international health authorities.
- The study highlights the adaptability of retina practices in the face of global health crises.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to assess the changes in clinical practice patterns among retina specialists in the Philippines in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Materials And Methods:
This was a multi-center cross-sectional study based on a self-reported online survey. An online questionnaire was distributed among practicing retina specialists in the Philippines as listed in the database of the Vitreo-Retina Society of the Philippines using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. The questionnaire contained questions regarding changes in clinic set-up, laser procedures, intravitreal injections, vitreoretinal surgery, and long-term outlooks.
Results:
A total of 48 responses were recorded and analyzed with a view rate of 41.7%. There was a decrease in the number of clinic consults, laser procedures, intravitreal injections, and vitreoretinal procedures with most reporting only 1-25% of their usual patient load. Several modifications in clinic protocols have been made, including use of personal protective equipment, adjustments in clinic hours, and scheduling of only urgent cases. The adjustments implemented during the pandemic are expected by most respondents to be long-term changes.
Conclusion:
Retina specialists in the Philippines have implemented changes in their practices to combat COVID-19, following guidelines issued by the local and international governing bodies on health.
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