Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025
Comparing Objective Conjunctival Hyperemia Grading and the Ocular Surface Disease Index Score in Dry Eye Syndrome During COVID-19
Published on: May 25, 2022
Ocular Emergencies During the Coronavirus Disease 'Safer at Home Order' in Wisconsin
Nenita Maganti1, Leslie Huang2, Mark Banghart3
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health,, Madison, Wisconsin.
Insights
During COVID-19, ophthalmology consultations dropped 28% in Wisconsin. However, urgent surgeries remained stable, indicating patients deferred non-urgent eye care but still sought critical treatment.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered hospital resource utilization and patient care delivery.
- Public health measures, such as
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of ophthalmology consultations from March 23 to May 26, 2020.
- Comparison with the same periods in the 4 preceding years and the subsequent year.
- Utilized billing codes to assess diagnoses and procedures.
Main Results:
- Total consultations decreased by 28% in 2020 (IRR 0.72, P≤0.001).
- Emergency department consultations significantly reduced (IRR 0.62, P≤0.001), while inpatient consultations remained similar (IRR 0.88, P=0.119).
- Procedures following consultations decreased in 2020 (IRR 0.59, P=0.018).
Conclusions:
- A significant reduction in ophthalmology consultations occurred during the COVID-19 "Safer at Home" order.
- Patients with less acute eye conditions likely deferred care, while those needing urgent surgery continued to present.
- Findings can inform resource allocation for eye care during future public health crises.
Introduction:
The coronavirus pandemic created large shifts in utilization of hospital resources, patient presentations, and delivery of medical care.
Objectives:
This retrospective study evaluated the ocular emergencies at a tertiary-care academic hospital in Wisconsin during the COVID-19-related "Safer at Home" order.
Methods:
Ophthalmology consultations performed March 23 through May 26, 2020, were compared to the same time period in the 4 preceding years and the subsequent year. Billing codes were obtained to evaluate the diagnoses and procedures performed during this time frame.
Results:
In 2020, 155 consultations were performed (42 emergency department, 113 inpatient), compared to a mean of 214 over the 5 other study years. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of total consultations in 2020 was 0.72 (P ≤ 0.001) compared to previous years. Significantly fewer emergency department consultations were performed (IRR 0.62, P ≤ 0.001), while inpatient consultations were similar (IRR 0.88, P = 0.119). The most common diagnosis across all study years was fracture of the skull/orbit with injury to the eye/orbit. In 2020, 13% of consultations led to a procedure, compared to a total of 16% in the other years (IRR 0.59, P = 0.018).
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated a 28% reduction in ophthalmology consultations at a major university hospital in Wisconsin during the COVID-19-related "Safer at Home" order, though the number of consultations leading to surgery were stable. This suggests that while patients with less acute needs may have deferred care, those requiring urgent surgery still presented to the emergency department. These data may help hospitals appropriately allocate eye care resources during future public health emergencies.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
01:17Accessory Structures of the Eye
01:25Glaucoma: Overview
01:27Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...