Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Ophthalmology

.: ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Investigation of the Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Clinical Attitudes and Habits of Ophthalmologists: A Survey Study
COVID-19 Pandemisinin Oftalmologların Klinik Tutum ve Alışkanlıklarına Etkisinin Araştırılması: Bir Anket Çalışması
Onur GÖKMENa, Gökhan ÖZGÜRb, Erol HAVUZb, Özlem BEYAZYILDIZb
aDepartment of Ophthalmology, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Van, TURKEY
bClinic of Ophthalmology, Health Sciences University Samsun Training and Research Hospital, Samsun, TURKEY
Turkiye Klinikleri J Ophthalmol. 2021;30(2):135-43
doi: 10.5336/ophthal.2020-79888
Article Language: EN
Full Text
ABSTRACT
 Objective: While the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly spreading all over the world in a short time, ophthalmological examinations that require to be in close contact with patients have increased the risk of disease infection for ophthalmologists. In this study, it is aimed to examine various personal protective equipment and clothes used by ophthalmologists to protect themselves in ophthalmology and analyze the changes in their attitude and approaches towards patients during the pandemic period. Material and Methods: During a 3-month period beginning from the pandemic in Turkey, a 22-question survey about ophthalmologists' use of mask, clothes, biomicroscope breathing shield, protective glasses, gloves, the habit of giving contact lens, surgical practices in the clinic, number of patients, attitude towards patients, contacts with the confirmed COVID19 patients and COVID-19 duties apart from ophthalmology have been prepared and sent to all opthalmologists working in Turkey and the obtained data were analyzed. Results: A hundred and twelve voluntary ophthalmologists have participated in the study. While all participants were putting on masks in the clinic, 79.6% of them were wearing protective clothes, 64.5% of them were putting on face shields and 96.4% of them were using a biomicroscope breathing shield. While 44% of the participants have been in non-ophthalmology COVID-19 duty, 92% of participants' giving contact lenses, and the surgical routine of 93% of them have changed during the pandemic period. Communications with patients, patient numbers, and examination duration have also been affected by the pandemic period at varying degrees. Conclusion: In the pandemic period, many ophthalmologists have been on the pandemic duty aside from their fields and this period has affected at varying rates the duration of ophthalmologists' communication and examination, their patient number, and their routines such as giving contact lens and surgical practice.

Keywords: COVID-19; ophthalmologists; survey; contact lens; pandemic
ÖZET
 Amaç: Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 [coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)] pandemisi kısa süre içerisinde tüm dünyada hızla yayılırken, hastalarla çok yakın temas gerektiren oftalmolojik muayeneler de oftalmologlar açısından hastalık bulaş riskini artırmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, oftalmologların kendilerini korumak adına göz polikliniğinde kullandıkları çeşitli kişisel koruyucu kıyafet, ekipmanlar ile pandemi sürecinde hastalara karşı yaklaşım ve tutum değişikliklerinin incelenmesi hedeflenmiştir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Türkiye'de pandemi başlangıcından itibaren 3 aylık dönem içerisinde oftalmologların poliklinikte maske, kıyafet, biyomikroskop nefes kalkanı, koruyucu gözlük, eldiven kullanımı, kontakt lens verme alışkanlıkları, cerrahi uygulamalar, hasta sayıları, hastalara karşı tutumları, geçirilmiş COVID19 enfeksiyon öyküleri, COVID-19 pozitif hasta temasları ve oftalmoloji dışı aldıkları COVID-19 görevleri hakkında 22 soruluk anket hazırlanarak, Türkiye'de görev yapan ve ulaşılabilen tüm oftalmologlara gönderilerek, elde edilen veriler analiz edildi. Bulgular: Çalışmaya, 112 gönüllü oftalmolog katılmıştır. Katılımcıların tamamı poliklinikte maske kullanırken, %79,6'sı koruyucu kıyafet, %64,5'i yüz koruyucu ekipman, %96,4'ü biyomikroskop nefes kalkanı kullanmakta idi. Katılımcıların %44'ü oftalmoloji dışı COVID-19 görevinde bulunurken, %92'sinin kontakt lens verme, %93'ünün ise cerrahi rutini pandemi sürecinde değişmiştir. Hastalarla olan iletişim, hasta sayıları, muayene süreleri de değişen oranlarda pandemi sürecinden etkilenmiştir. Sonuç: Oftalmologların, kişisel koruyucu ekipman ve kıyafetler konusunda tutum ve davranışları değişkenlikler göstermektedir. Pandemi sürecinde birçok oftalmolog, alanları dışında pandemi görevlerinde bulunmuşlardır ve bu süreç oftalmologların hastalarla olan iletişim ve muayene sürelerini, hasta sayılarını, oftalmologların kontakt lens verme ve cerrahi uygulama gibi rutinlerini değişen oranlarda etkilemiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler: COVID-19; oftalmologlar; anket; kontak lens; pandemi
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