Perceptions about Telemedicine among Populations with Chronic Diseases amid COVID-19: Data from a Cross-Sectional Survey.

Chronic diseases, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have arisen as a severe threat to health and socio-economic growth. Telemedicine can provide both the highest level of patient satisfaction and the lowest risk of infection during a pandemic. The factors associated with its usage and patient adherence are not visible in Bangladesh's resource-constrained settings. Therefore, this study aimed to identify perceptions about telemedicine among populations with chronic diseases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A closed-ended self-reported questionnaire was created, and the questionnaire was written, reviewed, and finalized by a public health investigator, a psychiatrist, and an epidemiologist. The data for this study were collected from individuals using simple random sampling and snowball sampling techniques. Ethics approval was granted, and written/verbal consent was taken before interviews. Most of the participants showed a positive attitude towards telemedicine. People aged 35-54 years old and a higher level of education were less frequently associated with willingness to receive telemedicine services for current chronic disease (WRTCCD) than their counterparts. People living in urban areas and lower-income participants were more strongly associated with WRTCCD. Additionally, people who did not lose their earnings due to the pandemic were less strongly associated with WRTCCD. However, the main strength of this research is that it is a broad exploration of patient interest in several general forms of telehealth. In Bangladesh, there are many opportunities for telemedicine to be integrated into the existing healthcare system, if appropriate training and education are provided for healthcare professionals.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy by Using Digital Fundus Photographs in the Peripheral Health Facilities of Bangladesh: Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness even in the absence of symptoms. Although routine eye screening remains the mainstay of diabetic retinopathy treatment and it can prevent 95% of blindness, this screening is not available in many low- and middle-income countries even though these countries contribute to 75% of the global diabetic retinopathy burden. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of diabetic retinopathy screening done by non-ophthalmologists using 2 different digital fundus cameras and to assess the risk factors for the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: This validation study was conducted in 6 peripheral health facilities in Bangladesh from July 2017 to June 2018. A double-blinded diagnostic approach was used to test the accuracy of the diabetic retinopathy screening done by non-ophthalmologists against the gold standard diagnosis by ophthalmology-trained eye consultants. Retinal images were taken by using either a desk-based camera or a hand-held camera following pupil dilatation. Test accuracy was assessed using measures of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Overall agreement with the gold standard test was reported using the Cohen kappa statistic (κ) and area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC). Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy occurrence were assessed using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: In 1455 patients with diabetes, the overall sensitivity to detect any form of diabetic retinopathy by non-ophthalmologists was 86.6% (483/558, 95% CI 83.5%-89.3%) and the specificity was 78.6% (705/897, 95% CI 75.8%-81.2%). The accuracy of the correct classification was excellent with a desk-based camera (AUROC 0.901, 95% CI 0.88-0.92) and fair with a hand-held camera (AUROC 0.710, 95% CI 0.67-0.74). Out of the 3 non-ophthalmologist categories, registered nurses and paramedics had strong agreement with kappa values of 0.70 and 0.85 in the diabetic retinopathy assessment, respectively, whereas the nonclinical trained staff had weak agreement (κ=0.35). The odds of having retinopathy increased with the duration of diabetes measured in 5-year intervals (P<.001); the odds of having retinopathy in patients with diabetes for 5-10 years (odds ratio [OR] 1.81, 95% CI 1.37-2.41) and more than 10 years (OR 3.88, 95% CI 2.91-5.15) were greater than that in patients with diabetes for less than 5 years. Obesity was found to have a negative association (P=.04) with diabetic retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Digital fundus photography is an effective screening tool with acceptable diagnostic accuracy. Our findings suggest that diabetic retinopathy screening can be accurately performed by health care personnel other than eye consultants. People with more than 5 years of diabetes should receive priority in any community-level retinopathy screening program. In a country like Bangladesh where no diabetic retinopathy screening services exist, the use of hand-held cameras can be considered as a cost-effective option for potential system-wide implementation.

Health education improves referral compliance of persons with probable Diabetic Retinopathy: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Lack of awareness about Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the most commonly cited reason why many persons with type 2 diabetes are non-compliant with referral instruction to undergo retinal screening. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a culturally, geographically and socially appropriate, locally adapted five-month-long health education on referral compliance of participants. METHOD: A prospective randomized, open-label parallel group study was conducted on persons with type 2 diabetes who underwent basic eye screening at a diabetes hospital between September 2017 and August 2018. Participants who were noncompliant with referral instruction to visit a hospital for advanced DR management were randomly divided into health education intervention group (n = 143) and control group (n = 156). Both groups received information regarding DR and referral instruction at the diabetes hospital. The intervention group was provided personalized education followed by telephonic reminders. The primary endpoint was 'increase in referral compliance' and the secondary endpoint was 'increase in knowledge of DR'. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify significant predictors of compliance to referral. RESULTS: A total of nine participants dropped and 290 completed the post intervention survey. The compliance rate in intervention group was found to be significantly higher than the control group (64.3% vs 28.2%; OR 4.73; 95% CI 2.87-7.79; p<0.001). Participants in the intervention group acquired better knowledge on DR (p<0.05). Apart from intervention, referral compliance rate was also found to be significantly associated with participants' self-perception of vision problem (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.02-4.01; p = 0.045) and participants' income (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.06-1.44; p = 0.008). DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that intensive health education on DR should be integrated with diabetes education as it may result in significantly improved referral compliance. Outcomes may be sustainable if interventions are institutionalized at referral point. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov (Registration # NCT03658980); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03658980.