Barriers to Follow-Up Retinal Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study.

Shields, Charlotte N; Cherkas, Elliot G; Mokhashi, Nikita; Cai, Louis Z; Pandit, Ravi R; Patel, Samir N; Hsu, Jason; Kuriyan, Ajay E; Klufas, Michael A; Ho, Allen C

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To characterize patient-identified barriers to care in those non-compliant with retina appointments during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS Inclusion criteria included non-compliant patients from March 1, 2020 to May 1, 2020. Ultimately, 1,345 patients were invited to complete a 14-question survey. A retrospective chart review correlated clinical and demographic information. Univariate logistic regression, independent-samples t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient identified differences among subgroups. RESULTS Of the 1,345 patients, 181 (13.5%) completed the survey. The most significant barriers to care included fear of COVID (76/181; 42.0%), wait times (21/181; 11.6%), and costs (11/181; 6.1%). Patients who got their COVID information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (7.8 ± 2.4) and televised news (8.0 ± 2.0) had higher levels of fear. Finally, patients with diabetic retinopathy and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores had greater concerns of COVID (P = .034 and P = .047, respectively). CONCLUSION This survey study suggests fear of COVID-19 is a prominent new barrier to retinal care. Identifying those at risk for loss to follow-up can guide practices as the pandemic continues. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2021;52:526-533.].