The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tele-ophthalmology-Based Retinal Screening

Data Availability: The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available as public access to individual data points was not part of the consent given by the participants in study.Introduction: This study reports our experiences with systematic retinal screening in Denmark through optometrists with access to tele-ophthalmological services before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We evaluated an optometrist-based retinal screening system with a referral option for tele-ophthalmological service by a consultant ophthalmologist within the time period of August 1, 2018 to September 30, 2023. The optometrist collected patient history, refraction, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, basic slit-lamp examination, 4-in-1 visual field report, and retinal imaging using color fundus 45° photography. Tele-ophthalmological services were provided by consultant ophthalmologists. Within pre-defined periods of pre-COVID-19, COVID-19, and post-COVID-19, we evaluated the rate of referrals to the tele-ophthalmological service, diagnoses made, and referrals to the public healthcare system. Results: A total of 1,142,028 unique individuals, which corresponded to 19.1% of the entire population of Denmark, underwent screening by the optometrists; 50,612 (4.4%) of these individuals were referred to the tele-ophthalmological examination by consultant ophthalmologists. A referral for further ophthalmic examination, either at hospital or at an ophthalmic practice, was made for 10,300 individuals (20.4% of those referred for tele-ophthalmology, corresponding to 0.9% of the population screened). The referral rate from the screening to the tele-ophthalmological service increased from before COVID-19 (3.4%) to during COVID-19 (4.3%) and further after COVID-19 (6.4%). This increase coincided with an increasing prevalence of conditions seen in the tele-ophthalmological service. Conclusion: During a period of 5 years, 19.1% of the entire population of Denmark underwent retinal screening. This provided an adjunctive health service during a period of severe strain on the public healthcare system, while limiting the number of excessive referrals to the public healthcare system. Temporal trends illustrated an increased pattern of use of a large-scale tele-ophthalmological system.No funding or sponsorship was received for this study or publication of this article. The Rapid Service Fee was funded by the authors

Percepção da equipe de enfermagem sobre humanização em unidade de tratamento intensivo neonatal e pediátrica

A humanização em saúde é uma das prioridades nas políticas de saúde no Brasil, implicando as atitudes dos usuários, trabalhadores e gestores dos serviços. Este estudo objetivou identificar a percepção da equipe de enfermagem sobre a humanização no cuidado em uma unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal e pediátrica. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória, descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa. Participaram, do estudo, 11 integrantes da equipe de enfermagem da unidade deterapia intensiva neonatal e pediátrica de um hospital do sul do Brasil. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, analisadas conforme referencial da análise de conteúdo temática. Emergiram três categorias temáticas: humanizar é ver o outro como um todo-acolher; o vínculo e a comunicação como práticas humanizadoras; e falta de ambiência como prática desumanizadora. Identificou-se que a compreensão da equipe de enfermagem sobre humanização pauta-se na própria ciência do cuidado de enfermagem, e não especificamente na Política Nacional de Humanização