Authors (including presenting author) :
Au CL(1), Ko CKL(1), Ko TC(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Ophthalmology, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
Introduction :
With the aging population and advancement of medications, patients with different retinal diseases requiring intravitreal anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) injection is growing. In our cluster, an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection card was set up to facilitate adhesion of injection regime to every 4-weekly international standard.
Objectives :
Our study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the anti-VEGF injection card, and find out patient’s awareness of their eye conditions.
Methodology :
Patients who underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF injection were recruited in consecutive operative sessions. Data on their age, date and number of intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, status of Hospital Authority follow-up were collected. Surveys on 4 questions were interviewed during “Time-out” of the surgery, by the attending ophthalmologists blinded from the study, concerning (1)laterality of the eye for injection, (2)name of anti-VEGF to be injected, (3)indication for injection, and (4)total number of anti-VEGF received before. Patients’ responses were recorded as “correct” or “incorrect”, coded as “1”or“0” respectively, as binominal data. Evaluations were surveyed before and 5 months after the implementation of the anti-VEGF injection card. Patients’ responses were analysed with Chi-square tests.
Result & Outcome :
67 patients, with a mean age of 75-year-old, were recruited in the survey. All patients (100%) adhered to no less than 4-weekly anti-VEGF injection regime as per international standard. Both pre- and post-implementation evaluation showed 100% correct identification on the laterality of eye undergoing injection. Awareness of the name of anti-VEGF to be injected increased from 34.3% to 68.6%,p=0.005; whereas awareness of the indication for injection increased from 25.0% to 91.4%,p=< 0.00001. Age or status of Hospital Authority follow-up was neither a determinant factor to the above findings; and the effect of the anti-VEGF injection card in raising patients’ awareness was more pronounced on cases with >3 anti-VEGF injections. In summary, the intravitreal anti-VEGF injection card is helpful in engaging patients and providing quality service.
