The Role and Views of Ophthalmologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Figures & data

Table 1 Results of the COVID-19 Survey Scale Among Up to 685 Ophthalmologists

								Evaluation of Continents
Statements	Answers, n (%)
	Strongly Agree	Generally Agree	Indifferent	Generally Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean (±SD)	Total n	Mean (±SD) Europe (n = 581–583)	Mean (±SD) North America (n = 73–74)	Mean (±SD) South America (n = 9)	Mean (±SD)Asia (n = 11)	Mean (±SD) Oceania (n = 2)	Mean (±SD) Africa (n = 5)
I am very concerned that patients could become infected during my treatment.	88 (12.85%)	240 (35.04%)	97 (14.16%)	199 (29.05%)	61 (8.91%)	2.9 (±1.2)	685	2.9 (±1.2)	2.5 (±1.3)	2.4 (±1.0)	2.8 (±1.5)	2.0 (±0.0)	1.6 (±0.6)
I fear the consequences of delayed treatment during the pandemic.	185 (27.01%)	321 (46.86%)	93 (13.58%)	72 (10.51%)	14 (2.04%)	2.1 (±1.0)	685	2.2 (±1.0)	1.7 (±0.9)	1.3 (±0.5)	2.1 (±1.2)	2.0 (±0.0)	1.0 (±0.0)
Phone calls/contact effectively reduce the number of unnecessary examinations.	80 (11.70%)	239 (34.94%)	159 (23.25%)	159 (23.26%)	47 (6.87%)	2.8 (±1.1)	684	2.8 (±1.1)	2.6 (±1.2)	3.2 (±1.0)	2.4 (±1.2)	2.0 (±0.0)	3.0 (±1.2)
Consultation by phone can reduce the fear of infection at the doctor’s office.	97 (14.18%)	347 (50.73%)	149 (21.78%)	75 (10.97%)	16 (2.34%)	2.4 (±0.9)	684	2.4 (±0.9)	2.3 (±1.0)	2.6 (±0.9)	2.4 (±1.3)	2.0 (±1.4)	1.6 (0.6)
Consultation by telephone can significantly reduce the rate of non-emergent patients (“no shows”).	100 (14.64%)	312 (45.68%)	165 (24.16%)	84 (12.30%)	22 (3.22%)	2.4 (±1.0)	683	2.5 (±1.0)	2.3 (±1.0)	2.4 (±1.0)	2.2 (±1.0)	2.0 (±0.0)	2.6 (1.3)
The government of my country/region has reacted sufficiently and sensibly to the pandemic.	93 (13.64%)	303 (44.43%)	106 (15.54%)	106 (15.54%)	74 (10.85%)	2.7 (±1.2)	682	2.5 (±1.1)	4.0 (±1.3)	3.2 (±1.4)	2.6 (±1.4)	1.0 (±0.0)	2.4 (±1.5)
Even without slit lamp findings and fundus photos, a reliable telemedical evaluation is possible in most cases.	6 (0.88%)	79 (11.57%)	101 (14.79%)	327 (47.88%)	170 (24.89%)	3.8 (±1.0)	683	3.9 (±0.9)	3.7 (±1.1)	3.8 (±1.2)	3.7 (±1.1)	3.5 (±0.7)	3.6 (±1.1)

Table 2 Patients Seen Before the Pandemic (Categories: 1: <50; 2: 50–100; 3: 101–150; 4: 151–200; 5: >200) and Perceived Mean Reduction Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Depending on Continent, Gender, Age and Experience

	Mean Patients per Week	Mean Reduction in Patients ±SD
Continent
Europe	3.2 ± 1.3 (n = 583)	20.1 ± 17.6 (n = 583)
North America	2.1 ± 0.9 (n = 74)	32.6 ± 20.4 (n = 74)
South America	2.4 ± 0.7 (n = 9)	32.2 ± 15.4 (n = 9)
Asia	3.0 ± 1.7 (n = 11)	33.9 ± 18.7 (n = 11)
Africa	2.2 ± 0.8 (n = 5)	43.0 ± 17.9 (n = 5)
Oceania	2.0 ± 0 (n = 2)	17.5 ± 17.7 (n = 2)
Gender
Female	3.0 ± 1.2 (n = 351)	21.2 ± 18 (n = 351)
Male	3.1 ± 1.3 (n = 331)	22.9 ± 18.8 (n = 332)
Age
Age not indicated	2.7 ± 1.4 (n = 17)	25.2 ± 15.8 (n = 17)
Age 21–30	2.5 ± 1.0 (n = 66)	18.0 ± 14.4 (n = 66)
Age 31–40	2.9 ± 1.2 (n = 178)	20.7 ± 18.1 (n = 178)
Age 41–50	3.0 ± 1.3 (n = 162)	23.9 ± 20.8 (n = 163)
Age 51–60	3.4 ± 1.3 (n = 174)	21.7 ± 18.0 (n = 174)
Age >60	3.1 ± 1.3 (n = 86)	24.2 ± 18.3 (n = 84)
Experience
Less than 5 years	2.5 ± 1.1 (n = 113)	20.3 ± 17.2 (n = 113)
5–10 years	2.9 ± 1.2 (n = 109)	21.0 ± 17.8 (n = 110)
10–20 years	3.1 ± 1.3 (n = 169)	21.9 ± 18.8 (n = 169)
20–40 years	3.3 ± 1.3 (n = 271)	23.11 ± 19.1 (n = 271)
Over 40 years	2.7 ± 1.3 (n = 21)	22.3 ± 18.6 (n = 21)

Table 3 Results of Scale of Satisfaction with the Respective Governments of Different Countries (Only Countries with at Least 10 Answers are Shown) and Their Deaths per Million Capita Due to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Cited on the 15th of July 2021 (Source Statista¹¹); Strongly Agree: 1; Generally Agree: 2 Indifferent: 3; Generally Disagree: 4; Strongly Disagree: 5

Country	Mean ± SD Satisfaction with Government	Deaths per 1 Million Capita
Austria (n = 22)	2.6 ± 0.9	1201.1
Germany (n = 456)	2.4 ± 1.0	1081.9
Italy (n = 10)	3.5 ± 1.6	2106.8
Mexico (n = 49)	4.3 ± 1.1	1804.3
Switzerland (n = 17)	2.9 ± 1.1	1266.6
UK (n = 15)	2.8 ± 1.2	1909.8
USA (n = 23)	3.5 ± 1.5	1819.5

Figure 1 Example view of the responsive email template that invited participation in the survey.

Statista; 2021. Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/. Accessed September 17, 2021.

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