Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34693022›Full record

ArticleBMJ open ophthalmology2021

Public perceptions of eye symptoms and hospital services during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic: a web survey study.

Gibran F Butt, James Hodson, Graham R Wallace, Saaeha Rauz, Philip I Murray

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open ophthalmology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Gibran F ButtAcademic Unit of Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5306-4647
James HodsonMedical Statistics, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Graham R WallaceAcademic Unit of Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Saaeha RauzAcademic Unit of Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Philip I MurrayAcademic Unit of Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8491-3795

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/N019016/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to explore the British public's healthcare-seeking beliefs concerning eye symptoms, and assess how the first COVID-19 lockdown influenced these. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: An anonymous web-based survey was disseminated through mailing lists and social media between June and August 2020. The survey sought participants' views on the severity and urgency of the need for medical review for four ophthalmic and two general medical scenarios on a five-point scale. Participants were asked to answer questions twice: once ignoring the COVID-19 pandemic, and once taking this into account, with additional questions asked to identify factors influencing the decision to seek medical attention and ward admission.

resultsA total of 402 participants completed the survey (mean age 61.6 years, 63.1% female and 87.7% of white ethnicity). Scores for symptom severity and urgency of medical review increased significantly with the severity of the clinical scenario (both p<0.001). However, participants gave significantly lower scores for the urgency of medical attention when accounting for the COVID-19 pandemic (compared with no pandemic) for all scenarios (all p<0.001). Younger age, greater deprivation and non-white ethnicity were correlated with a lower perception of seriousness and urgency of medical attention.

conclusionsDuring the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced urgency of medical review for ocular and systemic pathologies was reported in response to the pandemic, which represents a barrier to healthcare-seeking behaviour. This has the potential to critically delay medical review and timely management, negatively impacting patient outcomes.

Indexed as

COVID-19infectionpublic health

Identifiers

PMID34693022
PMCPMC8520595

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.