Communications Medicine · 10 authors, 9 centres
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This cohort study analyzed care utilization for 261 eye conditions in the US during the pandemic, finding sustained reductions in visits, especially for less severe conditions, with an average 67% drop during the initial hiatus and a 13% drop afterward.
The study used a common analytical framework to characterize care utilization patterns across 261 ophthalmic diagnoses in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from a national eye care registry, predictive models trained on pre-pandemic data established expected utilization levels. Observed patient volumes from January 2020 to December 2021 were compared to these expectations, revealing lasting reductions. Utilization was 67% below expected during the hiatus peak (April 2020) and 13% below post-hiatus (June 2020–December 2021). Less severe conditions, including early-stage forms of leading causes of blindness like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, experienced greater reductions.
