Background: The COVID-19 pandemic taught us how to rethink care delivery. It catalyzed creative solutions to amplify the potential of personnel and facilities. This paper presents and evaluates a promptly introduced triaging solution that evolved into a tool to tackle the ever-growing waiting lists at an academic ophthalmology department, the TeleTriageTeam (TTT). A team of undergraduate optometry students, tutor optometrists, and ophthalmologists collaborate to maintain continuity of eye care. In this ongoing project, we combine innovative interprofessional task allocation, teaching, and remote care delivery. Objective: In this paper, we described a novel approach, the TTT; reported its clinical effectiveness and impact on waiting lists; and discussed its transformation to a sustainable method for delivering remote eye care. Methods: Real-world clinical data of all patients assessed by the TTT between April 16, 2020, and December 31, 2021, are covered in this paper. Business data on waiting lists and patient portal access were collected from the capacity management team and IT department of our hospital. Interim analyses were performed at different time points during the project, and this study presents a synthesis of these analyses. Results: A total of 3658 cases were assessed by the TTT. For approximately half (1789/3658, 48.91%) of the assessed cases, an alternative to a conventional face-to-face consultation was found. The waiting lists that had built up during the first months of the pandemic diminished and have been stable since the end of 2020, even during periods of imposed lockdown restrictions and reduced capacity. Patient portal access decreased with age, and patients who were invited to perform a remote, web-based eye test at home were on average younger than patients who were not invited. Conclusions: Our promptly introduced approach to remotely review cases and prioritize urgency has been successful in maintaining continuity of care and education throughout the pandemic and has evolved into a telemedicine service that is of great interest for future purposes, especially in the routine follow-up of patients with chronic diseases. TTT appears to be a potentially preferred practice in other clinics and medical specialties. The paradox is that judicious clinical decision-making based on remotely collected data is possible, only if we as caregivers are willing to change our routines and cognitions regarding face-to-face care delivery.
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Doelstelling: In kaart brengen van de risicofactoren voor het ontwikkelen van binoculaire diplopie na conventionele monovisie door middel van contactlenzen of refractiechirurgie bij presbyopen. Methode: Voor deze literatuurstudie is in maart 2017 gezocht in databanken Pubmed, ScienceDirect en Google Scholar. Artikelen zijn geïncludeerd als binoculaire diplopie door monovisie wordt beschreven. Alle patiënten die worden weergegeven in deze artikelen zijn ouder dan 40 jaar en hebben monovisie door middel van contactlenzen of refractiechirurgie. De resultaten beschrijven de oorzaken van de binoculaire diplopie, de voorgeschiedenis van de patiënt met betrekking tot strabismus en de hoogte van additie. Onderscheid wordt gemaakt tussen contactlensdragers en patiënten die refractiechirurgie hebben ondergaan. Resultaten: In deze literatuurstudie zijn zes artikelen verwerkt. Uit deze artikelen zijn 35 patiënten met binoculaire diplopie meegenomen in dit onderzoek, vijftien patiënten met contactlens geïnduceerde monovisie en twintig patiënten met refractiechirurgie geïnduceerde monovisie. De oorzaken van binoculaire diplopie (decompensatie van een heteroforie, een intermitterend strabismus die constant wordt, een verworven heterotropie, decompensatie van een N IV parese en fixation switch diplopie) geven geen grote verschillen in aantal patiënten. Een additie hoger dan twee dioptrie komt meer voor in deze patiëntengroep met binoculaire diplopie dan een lagere additie. Een positieve voorgeschiedenis met betrekking tot strabismus komt meer voor dan een negatieve voorgeschiedenis. Relevante verschillen tussen contactlensdragers en patiënten die refractiechirurgie hebben ondergaan zijn niet gevonden. Conclusie: Vanwege het gebrek aan consistente data is meer onderzoek nodig voor significante resultaten.
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AIM: The objectives of this study were (i) to develop two cerebral visual impairment motor questionnaires (CVI-MQ's) for children with cerebral palsy (CP): one for children with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I, II and III and one for children with GMFCS levels IV and V; (ii) to describe their face validity and usability; and (iii) to determine their sensitivity and specificity.BACKGROUNDS: The initial versions of the two CVI-MQ's were developed based on literature. Subsequently, the Delphi method was used in two groups of experts, one familiar with CVI and one not familiar with CVI, in order to gain consensus about face validity and usability. The sensitivity and specificity of the CVI-MQ's were subsequently assessed in 82 children with CP with (n = 39) and without CVI (n = 43). With the receiver operating curve the cut-off scores were determined to detect possible presence or absence of CVI in children with CP.RESULTS: Both questionnaires showed very good face validity (percentage agreement above 96%) and good usability (percentage agreement 95%) for practical use. The CVI-MQ version for GMFCS levels I, II and III had a sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.96, with a cut-off score of 12 points or higher, and the version for GMFCS levels IV and V had a sensitivity of 0.97 and a specificity of 0.98, with a cut-off score of eight points or higher.CONCLUSION: The CVI-MQ is able to identify at-risk children with CP for the probability of having CVI.
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Purpose: To establish age-related, normal limits of monocular and binocular spatial vision under photopic and mesopic conditions. Methods: Photopic and mesopic visual acuity (VA) and contrast thresholds (CTs) were measured with both positive and negative contrast optotypes under binocular and monocular viewing conditions using the Acuity-Plus (AP) test. The experiments were carried out on participants (age range from 10 to 86 years), who met pre-established, normal sight criteria. Mean and ± 2.5σ limits were calculated within each 5-year subgroup. A biologically meaningful model was then fitted to predict mean values and upper and lower threshold limits for VA and CT as a function of age. The best-fit model parameters describe normal aging of spatial vision for each of the 16 experimental conditions investigated. Results: Out of the 382 participants recruited for this study, 285 participants passed the selection criteria for normal aging. Log transforms were applied to ensure approximate normal distributions. Outliers were also removed for each of the 16 stimulus conditions investigated based on the ±2.5σ limit criterion. VA, CTs and the overall variability were found to be age-invariant up to ~50 years in the photopic condition. A lower, age-invariant limit of ~30 years was more appropriate for the mesopic range with a gradual, but accelerating increase in both mean thresholds and intersubject variability above this age. Binocular thresholds were smaller and much less variable when compared to the thresholds measured in either eye. Results with negative contrast optotypes were significantly better than the corresponding results measured with positive contrast (p < 0.004). Conclusions: This project has established the expected age limits of spatial vision for monocular and binocular viewing under photopic and high mesopic lighting with both positive and negative contrast optotypes using a single test, which can be implemented either in the clinic or in an occupational setting.
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Intra-ocular straylight can cause decreased visual functioning, and it may cause diminished vision-related quality of life (VRQOL). This cross-sectional population-based study investigates the association between straylight and VRQOL in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess the association between straylight modeled continuously and cutoff at the recommended fitness-to-drive value, straylight ≥ 1.4 log(s), and VRQOL. The study showed that participants with normal straylight values, straylight ≤ 1.4 log(s), rated their VRQOL slightly better than those with high straylight values (straylight ≥ 1.4 log(s)). Furthermore, multivariable regression analysis revealed a borderline statistical significant association (p = .06) between intra-ocular straylight and self-reported VRQOL in middle-aged and elderly individuals. The association between straylight and self-reported VRQOL was not influenced by the status of the intra-ocular lens (natural vs. artificial intra-ocular lens after cataract extraction) or the number of (instrumental) activities of daily living that were reported as difficult for the elderly individuals.
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Older adults experience visual problems owing to biological ageing or eye disease. In the Netherlands, the prevalence of visual impairments is the highest in the subgroup of nursing home residents (41.3%). These impairments influence quality of life in terms of limiting daily activities and participation in social activities. Furthermore, 63% of visual problems are defined as ‘avoidable blindness’. For this reason, screening of visual functioning in the nursing home is of major importance. Moreover, visual functioning should also be taken into account to prevent the incidence of falls.
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The finding of poor lighting conditions in nursing homes in combination with a high prevalence of visual problems (with cataract found to be the most common age related pathology), stretches the need of enhanced awareness of eye care by professional caregivers.
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Objectives: Decline in the performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and mobility may be preceded by symptoms the patient experiences, such as fatigue. The aim of this study is to investigate whether self-reported non-task-specific fatigue is a long-term risk factor for IADL-limitations and/or mobility performance in older adults after 10 years. Methods: A prospective study from two previously conducted cross-sectional studies with 10-year follow-up was conducted among 285 males and 249 females aged 40–79 years at baseline. Fatigue was measured by asking “Did you feel tired within the past 4 weeks?” (males) and “Do you feel tired?” (females). Self-reported IADLs were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Mobility was assessed by the 6-minute walk test. Gender-specific associations between fatigue and IADL-limitations and mobility were estimated by multivariable logistic and linear regression models. Results: A total of 18.6% of males and 28.1% of females were fatigued. After adjustment, the odds ratio for fatigued versus non-fatigued males affected by IADL-limitations was 3.3 (P=0.023). In females, the association was weaker and not statistically significant, with odds ratio being 1.7 (P=0.154). Fatigued males walked 39.1 m shorter distance than those non-fatigued (P=0.048). For fatigued females, the distance was 17.5 m shorter compared to those non-fatigued (P=0.479). Conclusion: Our data suggest that self-reported fatigue may be a long-term risk factor for IADL-limitations and mobility performance in middle-aged and elderly males but possibly not in females.
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Light profoundly impacts many aspects of human physiology and behaviour, including the synchronization of the circadian clock, the production of melatonin, and cognition. These effects of light, termed the non-visual effects of light, have been primarily investigated in laboratory settings, where light intensity, spectrum and timing can be carefully controlled to draw associations with physiological outcomes of interest. Recently, the increasing availability of wearable light loggers has opened the possibility of studying personal light exposure in free-living conditions where people engage in activities of daily living, yielding findings associating aspects of light exposure and health outcomes, supporting the importance of adequate light exposure at appropriate times for human health. However, comprehensive protocols capturing environmental (e.g., geographical location, season, climate, photoperiod) and individual factors (e.g., culture, personal habits, behaviour, commute type, profession) contributing to the measured light exposure are currently lacking. Here, we present a protocol that combines smartphone-based experience sampling (experience sampling implementing Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, KSS ratings) and high-quality light exposure data collection at three body sites (near-corneal plane between the two eyes mounted on spectacle, neck-worn pendant/badge, and wrist-worn watch-like design) to capture daily factors related to individuals’ light exposure. We will implement the protocol in an international multi-centre study to investigate the environmental and socio-cultural factors influencing light exposure patterns in Germany, Ghana, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey (minimum n = 15, target n = 30 per site, minimum n = 90, target n = 180 across all sites). With the resulting dataset, lifestyle and context-specific factors that contribute to healthy light exposure will be identified. This information is essential in designing effective public health interventions.
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