Observational studyBMJ open2022
Trends, geographical variation and factors associated with the use of anti-VEGF intravitreal injections in Portugal (2013-2018): a retrospective analysis of administrative data.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The ideal intravitreal injection setting: office, ambulatory surgery room or operating theatre? A narrative review and international survey.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2023Pooled it
- Cost consequences of task-shifting intravitreal injections from physicians to nurses in a tertiary hospital in Norway.BMC health services research · 2023Trial
- Compliance to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factors for treatment of retinal diseases in Nigerians: a retrospective multicenter study.BMC ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Beyond Vision: Prospective Real-World Evaluation of Quality-of-Life and Caregiver Burden in Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Fluocinolone Acetonide (IluvienOphthalmology and therapy · 2026Article
- Observational
- Perceived stress levels among patients treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration with anti-VEGF injections.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2025Article
- Clinical and Socioeconomic Burden of Retinal Diseases: Can Biosimilars Add Value? A Narrative Review.Ophthalmology and therapy · 2025Review
- [Frequency and distribution of the active agent of intravitreal injections in German centers 2015-2021-An oregis study].Die Ophthalmologie · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsThe arrival of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies represented a treatment shift for several ophthalmological disorders and led to an increasing number of patients undergoing intravitreal injections. The aims of this observational study were to assess the expansion of anti-VEGF intravitreal injections in the Portuguese National Health System (NHS) and to identify factors correlated with geographical variations in episode rates.
methodsAdministrative database on discharge from Portuguese NHS hospitals was analysed for annual values and rates of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections at a national and regional level, between 2013 and 2018.
resultsThe number of episodes of anti-VEGF treatment and patients treated increased 16% and 9% per year, respectively, between 2013 and 2018. During the study period around 72% of patients were treated in the Metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto and in the Central region. Intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment rates in 2018 were 560 per 100 000 population and presented high variability between municipalities. Higher anti-VEGF treatment rates at the municipality level were associated with shorter distances between their residence and the hospital. At the hospital level, higher ratio of ophthalmologists and higher organisational level were associated with higher anti-VEGF treatment rates.
conclusionThe number of episodes and patients treated with anti-VEGF injections has been growing in recent years. Proximity to healthcare, more access to ophthalmologists and hospitals with higher organisational levels are associated with higher anti-VEGF treatment rates. Improving access is crucial to reduce regional discrepancies and ensure optimal treatment frequency, which may improve health outcomes.
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