In order to understand the outcomes of a teleophtalmology intitiative implemented at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers analyzed the number of patients requiring in-office follow-up within 1 month among consecutive televisits during the first month of the pandemic. Among all telemedicine visits, 13% required an in-office follow-up visit within 1 month. The proportion of visits by primary reason and the proportion within each reason that needed to be seen in the office within 1 month were red/dry eye (38% and 0%); eye pain (19% and 8%); eyelid issue (17% and 0%); chronic ocular disease (3% and 25%); postoperative visit (5% and 43%); monocular / binocular vision loss (3% and 50%); vision change (12% and 61%) and other (3% and 0%). The data show “that for the most common reasons for visit, especially red/dry eye, eyelid issue, and eye pain, telemedicine is effective and prevents unnecessary office visits,” say the study authors. “For other complaints, such as vision loss and vision change, both telemedicine and in-office visits are needed.”
