| Autor: |
Luo, Susan, Lock, Loren J., Xing, Bohan, Wingelaar, Maxwell, Channa, Roomasa, Liu, Yao |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Telemedicine & e-Health; Aug2023, Vol. 29 Issue 8, p1171-1178, 8p |
| Abstrakt: |
Background:Follow-up adherence with in-person care is critical for achieving improved clinical outcomes in telemedicine screening programs. We sought to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon follow-up adherence and factors associated with follow-up adherence after teleophthalmology for diabetic eye screening. Methods:We retrospectively reviewed medical records of adults screened in a clinical teleophthalmology program at urban and rural primary care clinics between May 2015 and December 2020. We defined follow-up adherence as medical record documentation of an in-person eye exam within 1 year among patients referred for further care. Regression models were used to identify factors associated with follow-up adherence. Results:Among 948 patients, 925 (97.6%) had health insurance and 170 (17.9%) were referred for follow-up. Follow-up adherence declined from 62.7% (n = 52) prepandemic to 46.0% (n = 40) during the pandemic (p = 0.04). There was a significant decline in follow-up adherence among patients from rural (p < 0.001), but not urban (p = 0.72) primary care clinics. Higher median household income (odds ratio [OR] 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–2.36) and obtaining care from an urban clinic (OR 5.29, 95% CI: 2.09–13.43) were associated with greater likelihood of follow-up during the pandemic. Discussion:Follow-up adherence remains limited after teleophthalmology screening even in a highly insured patient population, with a further decline observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results suggest that rural patients and those with lower socioeconomic status experienced greater barriers to follow-up eye care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions:Addressing barriers to in-person follow-up care is needed to effectively improve clinical outcomes after teleophthalmology screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Complementary Index |
| Externí odkaz: |
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