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Impact of COVID-19 on Quality of Life of Seniors With Eye Disease and Implementations to Improve Wellness

Eye Diseases | Covid19

The ophthalmology clientele is vulnerable in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic because of their age and comorbidities. Specifically, elderly patients aged 65 and above with glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy require regular follow-ups and commonly suffer from additional comorbidities. Further, because of the proximity between the patient and health care personnel during ophthalmological examinations, the risk of infection during visits is significant. The delicate balance between the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and visual loss in delaying cases is a psychological stressor to both patients and clinicians.

A cross-sectional study accumulating the data of 425 patients aged 65 and above with various eye diseases will be conducted. Participants will be presented with a set of online questionnaires designed to collect data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), vision-related quality of life (VRQOL), depression symptoms, anxiety, sleep quality, community integration, and their experience with tele-consultations. This study can help quantify the collateral impact of the COVID-19 beyond the direct impact of the virus, to improve future quality of care guidelines on non-COVID-19 conditions, and to help plan patient prioritization once restrictions are eased.

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Conditions de participation

  • Sexe:

    ALL

  • Âges admissibles:

    65 and up

Critères de participation

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients diagnosed with an eye disease by an experienced ophthalmologist.
* Patients with eye diseases age 65 and above.
* Be able to provide valid informed consent to participate in the research study.
* Being able to read and understand English.
* Having no significant self-reported or a physician diagnosed mental health disorder.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Inability to provide a valid informed consent.
* Significant communication barriers or lack of English proficiency that prevents participants from completing the questionnaires.
* Severe depression as confirmed by a CES-D ≥ 24.
* Having a lifetime diagnosis of self-reported other serious mental disorders, including bipolar I or II disorder, primary psychotic disorder (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder).
* Self-reported substance abuse or dependence within the past 3 months.
* Having an acutely unstable medical illnesses, including delirium or acute cerebrovascular or cardiovascular events within the last 6 months.
* Having irreversible vision loss that prevents one from completing the questionnaires.

Lieu de l'étude

St. Joseph's Hospital
St. Joseph's Hospital
London, Ontario
Canada

Contactez l'équipe d'étude

Primary Contact

Monali Malvankar

5196858500
Étude parrainée par
London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute and Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's
Participants recherchés
Plus d'informations
ID de l'étude: NCT04910282