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Purpose: The past few years have been difficult in the lives of most glaucoma patients in view of the COVID?19 pandemic. Our aim was to find out patients’ perspective and disruption of their quality of life during the COVID?19 pandemic by conducting a telephone survey among glaucoma patients. Methods: This was a cross?sectional study involving the glaucoma patients of a tertiary eye care hospital in India. Patients who had completed at least five years of follow?up before 2020 were randomized by a random number generator. A validated (forward–backward translation and completed pilot analysis) set of 14 questionnaires was administered to the patients, the latter of whom were telephonically interviewed by one of the investigators in February 2022. The entire data was audio?recorded. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used. Results: Out of 1141 patients with >5 years of follow?up, 103 were selected by randomization. A large group of 46 patients (44.6%) admitted to glaucoma affecting their daily activities. Only 12 (11.6%) admitted to being irregular with their drops. Thirty?four (33%) patients felt that their glaucoma was deteriorating and 31 (30.1%) had fear of blindness. Ninety?five patients (92.7%) felt that they were safe under the care of the treating doctor. There were 46 (44.6%) out of 103 patients who did not turn up for follow?up for six months or more. Lockdown (36.2%) and travel?expenses (27.6%) were the two most common reasons for the loss to follow?up visits. Conclusion: Nearly half of the long?term glaucoma patients were lost to follow?up during the COVID?19 pandemic. Glaucoma affecting daily lives and fear of losing vision turned out to be significant observations in the telephone survey. This fear seemed to be ameliorated by the majority still feeling safe by being in touch with their doctor for continued care even during the COVID?19 pandemic.
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@#<p><strong>Background:</strong> The implementation of the "Sin Tax Law" (RA 10351) in 2013 has increased revenues for healthcare in the Philippines. What changes have taken place in government hospitals since the passage of the law? This qualitative study sought to answer this question by presenting perspectives from patients, doctors, and nurses.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> Four focus group discussions (FGDs) and eight semi-structured interviews (SSIs) were conducted among patients, doctors, and nurses in two tertiary government hospitals in Metro Manila, Philippines.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Significant changes noted by study participants over the past several years included increased financial assistance for patients as well as improvements in health services and continuity of care. However, their narratives underscored shortcomings in human resources and facilities, raising questions of 'absorptive capacity'.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Given that the Sin Tax Law was the main policy intervention to which the changes reported by study participants can be attributed, the study provides a strong case for a continuation - if not expansion - of the Law, with the recommendation that increased health revenue should also translate to greater support for healthcare workers and enhanced health facilities. As these insights may be overlooked by traditional metrics, the study also recommends that policymakers consider qualitative studies in evaluating the efficacy of health care reforms.</p>