Changes in Patient Visits and Diagnoses seen in an Academic Ophthalmology Department during the COVID-19 pandemic
BACKGROUND: To minimize the risk of viral transmission, ophthalmology practices limited face to face encounters to only patients with urgent and emergent ophthalmic conditions, in the weeks after the start of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States. The impact of this is unknown.
METHODS: We did a retrospective analysis of the change in the frequency of ICD-10 code use and patient volumes in the six weeks before and after the changes in clinical practice associated with COVID-19.
RESULTS: The total number of encounters decreased four-fold after the implementation of clinic changes associated with COVID-19. The low vision, pediatric ophthalmology, general ophthalmology, and cornea divisions had the largest total decrease of in-person visits. Conversely, the number of telemedicine visits increased sixty-fold. The number of diagnostic codes associated with ocular malignancies, most ocular inflammatory disorders, and retinal conditions requiring intravitreal injections increased. ICD-10 codes associated with ocular screening exams for systemic disorders decreased during the weeks post COVID-19.
CONCLUSION: Ophthalmology practices need to be prepared to experience changes in practice patterns, implementation of telemedicine, and decreased patient volumes during a pandemic. Knowing the changes specific to each subspecialty clinic is vital to redistribute available resources correctly.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
Posted 06 Jan, 2021
On 16 Dec, 2020
On 16 Dec, 2020
On 16 Dec, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
Received 22 Nov, 2020
On 20 Nov, 2020
On 20 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 20 Nov, 2020
On 20 Nov, 2020
On 17 Nov, 2020
On 17 Nov, 2020
On 17 Nov, 2020
Posted 12 Nov, 2020
Received 12 Nov, 2020
Received 31 Oct, 2020
On 24 Oct, 2020
On 24 Oct, 2020
Received 24 Oct, 2020
On 23 Oct, 2020
On 23 Oct, 2020
Received 23 Oct, 2020
Invitations sent on 25 Sep, 2020
On 25 Sep, 2020
Received 25 Sep, 2020
On 24 Sep, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
Received 01 Sep, 2020
Invitations sent on 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 03 Aug, 2020
On 02 Aug, 2020
On 02 Aug, 2020
On 31 Jul, 2020
Changes in Patient Visits and Diagnoses seen in an Academic Ophthalmology Department during the COVID-19 pandemic
Posted 06 Jan, 2021
On 16 Dec, 2020
On 16 Dec, 2020
On 16 Dec, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
Received 22 Nov, 2020
On 20 Nov, 2020
On 20 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 20 Nov, 2020
On 20 Nov, 2020
On 17 Nov, 2020
On 17 Nov, 2020
On 17 Nov, 2020
Posted 12 Nov, 2020
Received 12 Nov, 2020
Received 31 Oct, 2020
On 24 Oct, 2020
On 24 Oct, 2020
Received 24 Oct, 2020
On 23 Oct, 2020
On 23 Oct, 2020
Received 23 Oct, 2020
Invitations sent on 25 Sep, 2020
On 25 Sep, 2020
Received 25 Sep, 2020
On 24 Sep, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
On 23 Sep, 2020
Received 01 Sep, 2020
Invitations sent on 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 03 Aug, 2020
On 02 Aug, 2020
On 02 Aug, 2020
On 31 Jul, 2020
BACKGROUND: To minimize the risk of viral transmission, ophthalmology practices limited face to face encounters to only patients with urgent and emergent ophthalmic conditions, in the weeks after the start of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States. The impact of this is unknown.
METHODS: We did a retrospective analysis of the change in the frequency of ICD-10 code use and patient volumes in the six weeks before and after the changes in clinical practice associated with COVID-19.
RESULTS: The total number of encounters decreased four-fold after the implementation of clinic changes associated with COVID-19. The low vision, pediatric ophthalmology, general ophthalmology, and cornea divisions had the largest total decrease of in-person visits. Conversely, the number of telemedicine visits increased sixty-fold. The number of diagnostic codes associated with ocular malignancies, most ocular inflammatory disorders, and retinal conditions requiring intravitreal injections increased. ICD-10 codes associated with ocular screening exams for systemic disorders decreased during the weeks post COVID-19.
CONCLUSION: Ophthalmology practices need to be prepared to experience changes in practice patterns, implementation of telemedicine, and decreased patient volumes during a pandemic. Knowing the changes specific to each subspecialty clinic is vital to redistribute available resources correctly.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3