The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the follow-up of patients with age-related macular degeneration in a tertiary hospital in London, the UK
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Adherence to medical appointments is crucial for managing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare services, potentially affecting disease control. This study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on appointment adherence and disease progression in AMD patients at the Western Eye Hospital in London. Methods: Patients were divided into two groups: those who attended appointments on time and those who experienced delays (n = 100 per group). We compared disease progression using demographic data, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and macular thickness measured by OCT, extracted from medical records. Results: In patients without delays, BCVA remained stable pre- and post-COVID-19, although significant changes in macular thickness were observed in the central (C0), superior (S1, S2), nasal (N1), and inferior (I1, I2) macular sectors. In contrast, patients with delayed appointments showed a significant increase in N1 macular thickness from 324.00 (304.00–358.00) pre-COVID-19 to 337.50 (305.50–375.50) post-COVID-19 (p = 0.030). Post-COVID-19, patients without delays had significantly better BCVA and thinner N1 macular thickness than those with delays. A positive correlation was found between the length of appointment delays and increased macular thickness in S1 and I2 sectors. Conclusions: Timely follow-up is essential in AMD management. Appointment delays during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with increased macular thickness and worse visual outcomes, highlighting the importance of maintaining continuity of care even during healthcare disruptions.
Date Issued
2025-09-15
Date Acceptance
2025-09-11
Citation
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025, 14 (18)
ISSN
2077-0383
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Volume
14
Issue
18
Copyright Statement
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41010701
PII: jcm14186497
Subjects
age-related macular degeneration
AMD
anti-VEGF
COVID-19
follow-up delay
General & Internal Medicine
IMPACT
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Medicine, General & Internal
Science & Technology
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
6497
Date Publish Online
2025-09-15