Real-world vitreoretinal practice patterns during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide, aggregated health record analysis
Purpose of review
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to the healthcare community. To reduce disease transmission, national regulatory agencies temporarily recommended curtailment of all nonurgent office visits and elective surgeries in March 2020, including vitreoretinal outpatient care in the USA. The effect of these guidelines on utilization of vitreoretinal care has not been explored to date.
Recent findings
Retinal outpatient visits, new patient visits, intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injections and in-office multimodal retinal imaging has seen a significant decline in u...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Ocular trauma during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders: a comparative cohort study
Purpose of review
The aim of this study was to report characteristics of patients presenting with serious ocular injuries during the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
Recent findings
Of 1058 patients presenting for emergency evaluation during the stay-at-home order, 62 (5.9%) patients [mean (SD) age, 41.1 (19.2) years; 19 (31%) women; 31 (50%) white] presented with severe ocular trauma. The daily mean (SD) number of patients who presented for emergency evaluation decreased from 49.0 (9) to 36.4 (6) during the quarantine (P (Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology)
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Ebola, COVID-19, and emerging infectious disease: lessons learned and future preparedness
Purpose of review
To highlight the lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak that may inform our approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly related to the widespread disruption of healthcare, ophthalmic disease manifestations, and vision health systems strengthening for future outbreaks.
Recent findings
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first detected in China in December 2019, has become a worldwide health emergency, with significant disruption of all aspects of society, including travel, business, and medical care. Although this pandemic has had unprecedented effects on healthcare delivery in the United States...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Ophthalmic manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 and ocular side effects of investigational pharmacologic agents
Purpose of review
To compile and report the ocular manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and summarize the ocular side effects of investigational treatments of this disease.
Recent findings
Conjunctivitis is by far the most common ocular manifestation of COVID-19 with viral particles being isolated from tears/secretions of infected individuals. Multiple therapeutic options are being explored across a variety of medication classes with diverse ocular side effects.
Summary
Eye care professionals must exercise caution, as conjunctivitis may be the presenting or sole finding of an active COVID...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Ophthalmology conferences in the coronavirus disease 2019 era
Purpose of review
To discuss key considerations involved in adapting an in-person ophthalmology conference to a virtual medium.
Recent findings
In 2020, several ophthalmological societies have held or are planning to hold virtual conferences in lieu of their previously scheduled in-person ophthalmology conference because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The strategic meeting components attempted to be retained in these transitions include educational information disseminating, academic discussion with colleagues, sponsorships, and networking. Live-streamed components of a virtual conference may be entirely re...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Eye banking in the coronavirus disease 2019 era
Purpose of review
Coronavirus disease 2019, caused by novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is highly infectious; however, the different routes of transmission are not well understood. Transmission through tissue transplantation is possible and must be considered. This review will evaluate the current literature regarding routes of transmission, the likelihood of transmission through ocular tissue transplantation, and the guidelines in place to mitigate this risk.
Recent findings
Although respiratory droplets have been the primary route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, there is evi...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Editorial: Perspectives from the front lines of COVID-19: New York City ophthalmology resident narratives
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology)
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Incorporating a virtual curriculum into ophthalmology education in the coronavirus disease-2019 era
Purpose of review
The purpose of this review is to describe the transition of ophthalmology education to a virtual curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight innovative solutions ophthalmic educators implemented for medical students, residents, and fellows.
Recent findings
Clinical and surgical ophthalmology volume abruptly decreased in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis. All didactics, grand rounds, and journal clubs shifted to an online format. Ophthalmic educators collaborated with other institutions in the United States and abroad on shared virtual curricula and seminars, and si...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Considerations in the use of slit lamp shields to reduce the risk of respiratory virus transmission in coronavirus disease 2019
Purpose of review
The use of slit lamp shields has been recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology as an infection control measure during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. However, there is limited evidence regarding its efficacy to reduce viral transmission risks. We aim to provide an evidence-based approach to optimize the use of slit lamp shields during clinical examination.
Recent findings
Respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing can travel up to 50 m/s and over a distance of 2 m, with a potential area of spread of 616 cm2. Slit lamp shields confer added protection against large droplet...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Teleophthalmology: an essential tool in the era of the novel coronavirus 2019
Purpose of review
The aim of this article is to assess the current state of teleophthalmology given the sudden surge in telemedicine demand in response to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
Recent findings
Recommendations and policies from government and national health organizations, combined with social distancing, have led to exponential increases in telemedicine use. Teleophthalmology can be integrated into ophthalmic care delivery. In the emergency room, teleophthalmology can be utilized to triage patients and diagnose common ophthalmic eye diseases. Ophthalmology practices can utilize real-time medicine to c...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: COVID19: Edited by Allen Chiang and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya Source Type: research
Artificial intelligence for diabetic retinopathy screening, prediction and management
Purpose of review
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common specific complication of diabetes mellitus. Traditional care for patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy is fragmented, uncoordinated and delivered in a piecemeal nature, often in the most expensive and high-resource tertiary settings. Transformative new models incorporating digital technology are needed to address these gaps in clinical care.
Recent findings
Artificial intelligence and telehealth may improve access, financial sustainability and coverage of diabetic retinopathy screening programs. They enable risk stratifying patients based on individua...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN RETINA: Edited by Judy E. Kim and Ehsan Rahimy Source Type: research
Interpretation of artificial intelligence studies for the ophthalmologist
Purpose of review
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in ophthalmology has increased dramatically. However, interpretation of these studies can be a daunting prospect for the ophthalmologist without a background in computer or data science. This review aims to share some practical considerations for interpretation of AI studies in ophthalmology.
Recent findings
It can be easy to get lost in the technical details of studies involving AI. Nevertheless, it is important for clinicians to remember that the fundamental questions in interpreting these studies remain unchanged – What does this study show, and how does t...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN RETINA: Edited by Judy E. Kim and Ehsan Rahimy Source Type: research
Accelerating ophthalmic artificial intelligence research: the role of an open access data repository
Purpose of review
Artificial intelligence has already provided multiple clinically relevant applications in ophthalmology. Yet, the explosion of nonstandardized reporting of high-performing algorithms are rendered useless without robust and streamlined implementation guidelines. The development of protocols and checklists will accelerate the translation of research publications to impact on patient care.
Recent findings
Beyond technological scepticism, we lack uniformity in analysing algorithmic performance generalizability, and benchmarking impacts across clinical settings. No regulatory guardrails have been set to m...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN RETINA: Edited by Judy E. Kim and Ehsan Rahimy Source Type: research
Delivering personalized medicine in retinal care: from artificial intelligence algorithms to clinical application
Purpose of review
To review the current status of artificial intelligence systems in ophthalmology and highlight the steps required for clinical translation of artificial intelligence into personalized health care (PHC) in retinal disease.
Recent findings
Artificial intelligence systems for ophthalmological application have made rapid advances, but are yet to attain a state of technical maturity that allows their adoption into real-world settings. There remains an ‘artificial intelligence chasm’ in the spheres of validation, regulation, safe implementation, and demonstration of clinical impact that needs to be bri...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN RETINA: Edited by Judy E. Kim and Ehsan Rahimy Source Type: research
Controversies in artificial intelligence
Purpose of review
To review four recent controversial topics arising from deep learning applications in ophthalmology.
Recent findings
The controversies of four recent topics surrounding deep learning applications in ophthalmology are discussed, including the following: lack of explainability, limited generalizability, potential biases and protection of patient confidentiality in large-scale data transfer.
Summary
These controversial issues spanning the domains of clinical medicine, public health, computer science, ethics and legal issues, are complex and likely will benefit from an interdisciplinary approach if ar...
Source: Current Opinion in Ophthalmology - August 13, 2020 Category: Opthalmology Tags: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN RETINA: Edited by Judy E. Kim and Ehsan Rahimy Source Type: research
