Lockdown Period Research Articles

Association of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Hearing Aid Servicing, Repair and Users’ Satisfaction During COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: Hearing aids (HAs) are electronic devices that provide amplification for individuals with hearing impairment. It requires good maintenance for its trouble-free function, but when HAs are not repaired or serviced on time, it affects communication. In the lockdown period during COVID-19 pandemic, many services were put on hold, including the HA service leading to poor user satisfaction. The study aimed to survey the HA user’s perspectives on its repair, servicing, and satisfaction during COVID-19 using a questionnaire.Methods: Sixty-seven participants reported to the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic for service and repair of HAs participated in the study. All the participants answered a questionnaire which consisted of different variables (extrinsic and intrinsic) affecting HA service, repair and satisfaction.Results: The chi-square test showed that extrinsic factors enjoyed relatively more (14) significant associations than intrinsic ones (8 associations). The lack of transport and non-availability of the HA centres were associated with the significant reason for the delay in the HA being brought for repair.Conclusions: The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the service, repair and satisfaction of the HA users. The associations among the variables would make the service delivery better during any such pandemics.

Study on Experiences of Fitness Freaks during the Period of Lockdown Due to COVID-19

Study on Experiences of Fitness Freaks during the Period of Lockdown Due to COVID-19

Dual isotope analysis reveals the COVID-19 lockdown impact on nitrate aerosol sources and formation pathways in Shanghai

Nitrate (NO3−) is an important contributor to PM2.5 which can adversely affect the environment and human health. A noticeable decrease in NOx concentrations has been reported due to the lockdown measures implemented to curb the spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, questions remain, regarding the nonlinear relationship between NOx and NO3−. Here, we collected PM2.5 samples in two periods, before and during the lockdown of COVID-19 in Shanghai. Dual isotopes (δ18O-NO3− and δ15N-NO3−) of NO3− were measured to investigate the formation pathways and potential sources of NO3−. The results showed that the concentration of NO3− decreased significantly during the lockdown period compared to the period before the lockdown. Additionally, the hydroxyl pathway was the dominant contributor to NO3− production during the lockdown period, while N2O5 hydrolyses dominated the formation of NO3− before the lockdown. This change is largely attributable to alterations in the oxidative potential of the environment. In comparison to the period preceding the lockdown, the relative contributions of each NOx source remained largely unchanged throughout the lockdown periods. Nevertheless, the concentration of NO3− contributed by each NOx source exhibited a notable decline, particularly the mobile sources and coal combustion. Furthermore, the reduction extent of NO3− due to the lockdown period was also greater than the reduction during the Clean Air Actions (2013–2017). Our findings provide evidence that the COVID-19 lockdown led to a decrease in NO3− concentration due to changes in the formation pathway and reductions in NOx emissions from various sources.

Stroke but no hospital admission: Lost opportunity for whom?

To counter the spread of COVID-19, the French government imposed several stringent social and political measures across its entire population. We hereto assess the impact of these political decisions on healthcare access in 2020, focusing on patients who suffered from an ischemic stroke. We divide our analysis into four distinct periods: the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period, the lockdown period, the "in-between" or transitional period, and the shutdown period. Our methodology involves utilizing a retrospective dataset spanning 2019-2020, an exhaustive French national hospital discharge diagnosis database for stroke inpatients, integrated with income information from the reference year of 2019. The results reveal that the most affluent were more likely to forgo medical care, particularly in heavily affected areas. Moreover, the most disadvantaged exhibited even greater reluctance to seek care, especially in the most severely impacted regions. The data suggest a loss of opportunity for less severely affected patients to benefit from healthcares during this lockdown period, regardless of demographic, location, and socioeconomic determinants. Furthermore, our analysis reveals a notable discrepancy in healthcare-seeking behavior, with less affluent patients and seniors (over 75 years old) experiencing slower rates of return to healthcare access compared to pre-pandemic levels. This highlights a persistent gap in healthcare accessibility, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

Outcomes of head trauma in children admitted to a tertiary paediatric intensive care unit in South Wales

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the demographics and outcomes of major paediatric head trauma managed in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in South Wales and comparison is made with the existing published literature. Design and setting A retrospective review of medical records and imaging of patients identified from the paediatric neurosurgical trauma database at University Hospital Wales (UHW) from March 2013 to July 2021. We assessed the GCS at admission, mechanism of injury, CT scan, type of surgery required and GOS after 12 months. Patients A total of 46 children (<16 years old) who were admitted to intensive care secondary to a traumatic brain injury were identified. Mean age was 7.6 years (range 0 days–15.7 years). Results Road traffic accidents (RTA) were the predominant mechanism of injury (56.5%), followed by falls (32.6%). Neurosurgical intervention, including stand-alone ICP monitoring was required in 69.6% of patients. Post discharge outcome was defined using the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS), with a good functional outcome (GOS ≥4) accounting for 86.4% at 12 months follow-up. Survival rate was 93.4%. Conclusion Demographics in South Wales are similar to the published literature, except falls had a higher mortality than RTA in our cohort. Head injury mechanisms, surgical interventions and outcomes show variation between patients from the pre-covid and lockdown periods. Outcomes are good for surgically and conservatively treated patients and very comparable to the published literature.

The power of routines: Impact of parent-grandparent coparenting relationship quality on post-lockdown child adjustment over the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Child routines and coparenting relationships are respectively recognized in past literature as valid predictors of child adjustment, representing structured daily living and source of support in children’s lives. Under the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, established family processes were shaken by social and mental challenges, which lacked relevant literature regarding the working mechanism in the Chinese cultural context, where parent-grandparent coparenting families commonly reside. The current longitudinal study explores the role of child routines in the effect of mother-grandmother coparenting relationship quality on child adjustment over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The study collected data from 163 mother-grandmother coparenting families before, during, and after the pandemic lockdown in Beijing, China, in a one-year span. The results showed that the consistency of child routines during the pandemic mediated the effect of mothers’ perceived coparenting relationship quality before the pandemic on child social competence after the lockdown, but not on child behavioral and emotional problems. Grandmother’s perceived coparenting relationship quality before the pandemic negatively predicted behavioral and emotional problems after the lockdown, while no indirect effects were found. The current study reiterates the critical role of routine maintenance in the coparenting context on child social-emotional development, particularly when other parts of daily lives were disturbed. Also, separately examining mothers’ and grandmothers’ perceived coparenting relationship quality validates the idea that caregivers played different roles in the family, resulting in disparities in child development mechanisms.

Impact of flexible working on traffic congestion in extreme weather conditions: Empirical evidence from a natural experiment

IntroductionClimate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which can lead to increased congestion on roadways as drivers slow down and navigate hazardous conditions. Flexible working can be a potential solution because it reduces the need for employees to commute to work. MethodsThis study investigates the traffic congestion spatiotemporal patterns of flexible working in extreme weather events (i.e., heavy snow) by using the public health emergency as a natural experiment. We collect real-time traffic data from Harbin, China, and provide a framework to quantify the reduction of traffic congestion under extreme weather conditions. During the epidemic lockdown period, only crucial workers were allowed to go to work in the study area; everybody else was working from home. This is the maximum level of flexible working that a system can allow. Hence, our findings provide an upper limit for traffic congestion reduction in extreme weather events. We constructed three scenarios, i.e., baseline, snow, and snow with work-from-home (WFH). We use time series analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis methods to study the spatiotemporal patterns of traffic congestion during morning peak hours (6:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.) at 10-min intervals. ResultsThe data analysis identified that significant traffic congestion reduction due to the WFH arrangement. For example, the longest travel duration is reduced from 120 min in the snow scenario to 50 min in the snow with WFH scenario. ConclusionsThis study reveals the geographical patterns of urban traffic congestion, providing support for guiding residents to optimize snowy travel methods in future interventions, policy changes, and research.

Long-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and eating behaviour of the Italian population: a longitudinal study.

Restrictive measures due to the Covid-19 pandemic strongly impacted lifestyle and daily behaviour. The purpose of this longitudinal retrospective study was to investigate short-term and long-term effects of Covid-19 pandemic on physical activity and eating habits of the Italian population investigating three time periods: pre-, during- and post-lockdown. A sample of 2773 adults recruited through social media provided data by an online survey administered from July to October 2023. Participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) and provided information about eating habits, socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics. There was a significant increase (p < 0.001) in mean BMI from pre-pandemic period (24.53 ± 5.34 Kg/m2) to post-pandemic period (25.22 ± 6.0 Kg/m2). Physical Activity significantly decreased during the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period (χ² = 271.97; p < 0.001; φ = 0.31) with an increase in inactive subjects from 25.7% to 52.8%. In the post pandemic period, there was an increase in the level of Physical Activity compared to the pandemic period (χ² = 413.61; p < 0.001; φ = 0.39) with a reduction of inactive subjects from 52.8% to 25.6%. Adherence to Mediterranean Diet score significantly (p < 0.001) increase from pre-pandemic (7.18 ± 1.58) to during-pandemic (7.29 ± 1.69) and post-pandemic (7.75 ± 1.63) periods with significant differences emerged in the consumption of single MEDAS items during the pandemic period by different BMI classes. Consumption of seasonal fruit and vegetables, water intake, the preparation/consumption of traditional or local dishes and the time dedicated for dinner and lunch significant increase (p < 0.001) during pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic changed people's lifestyles, but in different ways for Physical Activity and diet. During the pandemic there was a negative effect for PA that decreased while the time spent sitting increased. This seems to be a temporary effect as, after the end of the phase of mandatory restrictions, it returns to the original level. The lockdown period improved the quality of the Italian population's eating habits, with an increase in adherence to the Mediterranean diet even after the end of the pandemic showing a rediscovery of traditional dishes, increase in consumption of seasonal products, greater preference for local products and more time spent preparing meals.

Mobile Smartphones as Tools for ICT Integration in Geography Teaching

This article seeks to reflect on the opportunities that mobile smartphones (MSPs) present as ICT integration tools in teaching geography. The more extensive study, underpinned by the Professional Development Framework for Digital Learning (PDFDL) in ICT integration, employed a qualitative research approach. Lensed by the Professional Development Framework for Digital Learning (PDFDL), the article used the qualitative approach to garner insights from the participants regarding using MSPs as tools to integrate ICT in geography teaching. Data collection tools included interviews, observations, and document reviews. Researchers sampled (n = 4) schools, interviewed and observed (n = 13) teachers, and interviewed (n = 10) learners and (n = 8) parents in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, they used a purposive sampling technique to access the participants, basing the research on the premise that MSPs promote virtual reality for an array of learners. As the findings revealed, although some participants viewed the use of MSPs as a distractor in the learning space, teachers felt compelled to heed the call to modify their teaching pedagogies, such that they integrated mobile phones fruitfully in their teaching. The findings further revealed that such a paradigm shift would benefit homeschooling and facilitate a dual teaching mode at learning institutions. Curriculum planners are responsible for helping teachers accept that uncertainty is the only certainty about the future, considering the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and augmentation (VUCA) challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Extended lockdown periods accelerated the use of MSPs in teaching, requiring every stakeholder in the educational space to become a life-long learner by using a range of technologies and platforms.

Exemplifying successful sports event amidst the pandemic: the case of the Turkish women's football super league

Objective: The aim of this study is to define the COVID-19 positivity rate, transmission routes and clinical symptoms in the group of female football players competing in the Turkish Women's Football Super League, where the bubble protocol was implemented during the full lockdown period when the cases peaked. Material and Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out to include a total of 557 participants during the Turkish Women's Football Super League 3‐week event (April 17-May 5, 2021). This event was held within the scope of the bubble protocol developed for sports events during the full lockdown period of the pandemic. Regular reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) screenings were carried out as part of a standard procedure (48-72 hours prior to hotel check-in, upon arrival, and the day before matches) to assess the possible presence of the COVID-19 virus carriage. Results: In the pre-arrival test, COVID-19 was detected in 5.03% of football players (19/377). A positivity rate of 0.27% (1/367) was found in football players at the entrance to the hotel facilities. Of the tests performed to footballers during the "Bubble", COVID-19 has been detected in 0.54% (2/367). Tests of 1 team manager and 2 referees, who were in the "bubble protocol" but not in contact with players, were positive. All 6 detected cases were asymptomatic. 5 cases later showed flu-like symptoms. It was revealed that 5 out of 6 cases had contact with a positive case before the tournament. Conclusion: The bubble protocol, which includes testing, advanced hygiene, social distancing and daily symptom monitoring strategies can minimize the transmission of COVID-19 and provide a safe environment for sports organizations.

Air pollution changes on the risk of preterm birth during COVID-19 lockdown periods in Canada: A natural experiment study

Air pollution changes on the risk of preterm birth during COVID-19 lockdown periods in Canada: A natural experiment study

Understanding the role of mobility in the recorded levels of violent crimes during COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of Tamil Nadu, India

Purpose/GoalThis research investigates the potential link between mobility and violent crimes in Tamil Nadu, India, using an empirical study centred on the COVID-19 pandemic waves (2020–2022). The goal is to understand how these events influenced crime, employing a counterfactual approach.MethodsThe study employs the XGBoost algorithm to forecast counterfactual events across different timeframes with varying levels of mobility. The mobility data sources include historical bus and passenger records spanning a decade, along with Google Community Mobility Reports added during the pandemic phases. The foundation for crime analysis is built upon the univariate time series of violent crimes reported as First Information Reports from 2010 to 2022.FindingsResults indicate a significant correlation between mobility and violent crimes when mobility drops below a specific threshold. However, no such correlation is observed when mobility is above this threshold during the non-pandemic periods. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on people’s and vehicular mobility, especially during the complete lockdown periods of the first two waves, and also affected crime rates.ConclusionsThe decrease in recorded incidents could also be attributed to fewer criminal opportunities. Additionally, this could be due to unfavourable situational factors, such as victims’ limited access to appropriate health and law enforcement agencies to report crimes. Furthermore, frontline services were busy with pandemic-related commitments, which could have contributed to a lack of crime registration even when crimes were committed.

Temporal shifts in sources and composition of particulate metals in an environmental justice community: Impacts of continued emission reductions, COVID-19, and wildfires

In this study, we evaluated trends in the composition and source contributions of ambient particulate metals, many of which are toxic air contaminants, in Paramount, California. Paramount is an environmental justice community disproportionately impacted by air pollution from multiple emission sources near sensitive receptors. Concentrations of ambient metals bound to total suspended particulates (TSP) were measured hourly using a Xact 625 ambient metal monitor between 2017 and 2020. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified traffic, industry, and soil dust as major contributors. Results showed that contributions of traffic and soil dust noticeably declined during the COVID-19 lockdown period (March–April 2020) due to reduced human activities but reverted to normal levels within a few months. Industry-related factors, however, dropped significantly during this period and remained low throughout the year. Contributions from industry-related sources in Paramount began declining even before 2020, despite no similar trend in regional levels, implying local emission reductions. These reductions resulted from tariffs, decreased demand, regulatory actions by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and voluntary controls by local facilities. Consequently, Paramount is experiencing drastically lower levels of metals (up to 80%, depending on the metal and source) from metal-processing facilities and related sources. Moreover, we observed markedly elevated concentrations of several metals (e.g., Ba, Ca, Mn, K, etc.) during the unprecedented September 2020 wildfires that engulfed much of the western US, adding to the limited body of studies on this phenomenon and emphasizing the considerable impact of massive wildfires on ambient levels of particulate metals.

Enrollment and completion rates of a nationwide guided digital parenting program for children with disruptive behavior before and during COVID-19.

Our aim was to study enrollment and completion levels for the internet-based and telephone-assisted Finnish Strongest Families Smart Website (SFSW) parent training intervention, for parents of young children with disruptive behavior before and after the COVID-19 lockdown period. Population-based screening was carried out on 39,251 children during routine check- ups at 4years of age. The parents of children scoring at least 5 on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were assessed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Associations with enrollment or completion were analyzed using logistic regression models. The effects of COVID-19 restrictions on these were estimated using interrupted timeseries analysis. Of 39,251 families, 4894 screened positive and met the eligibility criteria. Of those, 3068 (62.6%) decided to enroll in the SFSW program and 2672 (87.1%) of those families completed it. The highest level of disruptive behavior (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.12-1.57, p < 0.001) and overall severity of difficulties (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.91-2.57, p < 0.001) were independently associated with enrollment. Higher parental education was associated with enrollment and completion. Higher paternal age was associated with enrollment, and parent depressive symptoms with non-completion. The SFSW enrollment did not significantly change following the COVID-19 restrictions, while the completion rate increased (COVID-19 completion OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.22-2.50, p = 0.002). Guided digital parenting interventions increase the sustainability of services, by addressing the child mental health treatment gap and ensuring service consistency during crisis situations.

A nationwide Guillain-Barré syndrome epidemiological study in Spain during the COVID-19 years.

The purpose was to perform a nationwide epidemiological study of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Spain, analysing background incidences and seasonal variation and trying to identify incidence changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) years. This was an observational study collecting all GBS diagnoses from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network collected by the Ministry of Health. Patients discharged with GBS as the main diagnosis and admitted during 2018-2021 were included. Data on the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections were obtained from the National Epidemiology Centre. In total, 3147 cases were included, 832 in 2018, 861 in 2019, 670 in 2020 and 784 in 2021. Nationwide hospital incidence was 1.78 in 2018, 1.71 in 2019, 1.41 in 2020 and 1.66 in 2021, with an increased frequency in males, the elderly population and in the winter season. Eleven per cent of GBS patients needed ventilatory support. GBS and SARS-CoV-2 incidences did not correlate with one another (r = -0.29, p = 0.36). GBS incidence decreased during 2020 and during the COVID-19 lockdown period in comparison to the same months of 2018-2019. The incidence of GBS in Spain is similar to that of other countries. Despite prior reports describing a significant increase in COVID-19-associated GBS in Spain, a significant drop of GBS incidence during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was detected, probably due to prevention measures.

Acute coronary syndromes did not decrease during COVID-19 pandemic in an isolated Greek population.

Introduction: There are worldwide reports that hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chios is a Greek island with only one confirmed coronavirus case during the lockdown. This study aimed to compare admissions for ACS in Chios General Hospital, Greece, between the COVID-19 lockdown period and the same period in the previous year. Methods: Retrospective record analysis of an isolated insular population referring to the only district hospital on the island. ACS incidence, type, and complications were recorded and compared between 26/02/2020-04/05/2020 and between 26/02/2019-04/05/2019. Results: ACS hospital admissions in 2020 were 1.72/10,000 inhabitants vs. 1.03/10,000 inhabitants in 2019 (p = 0.317). No differences in ACS type, duration from symptom onset to first medical contact, hemodynamic status, left ventricular function at discharge, or complications were recorded. Conclusion: The incidence of ACS did not decrease and the prognosis was not worse during the COVID-19 pandemic in a strictly isolated Greek insular population not overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on NO2 Pollution and the Associated Health Burden in China: A Comparison of Different Approaches.

So far, a large number of studies have quantified the effect of COVID-19 lockdown measures on air quality in different countries worldwide. However, few studies have compared the influence of different approaches on the estimation results. The present study aimed to utilize a random forest machine learning approach as well as a difference-to-difference approach to explore the effect of lockdown policy on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration during COVID-19 outbreak period in mainland China. Datasets from 2017 to 2019 were adopted to establish the random forest models, which were then applied to predict the NO2 concentrations in 2020, representing a scenario without the lockdown effect. The results showed that random forest models achieved remarkable predictive accuracy for predicting NO2 concentrations, with index of agreement values ranging between 0.34 and 0.76. Compared with the modelled NO2 concentrations, on average, the observed NO2 concentrations decreased by approximately 16 µg/m3 in the lockdown period in 2020. The difference-to-difference approach tended to underestimate the influence of COVID-19 lockdown measures. Due to the improvement of NO2 pollution, around 3722 non-accidental premature deaths were avoided in the studied population. The presented machine learning modelling framework has a great potential to be transferred to other short-term events with abrupt pollutant emission changes.

Dataset for Mathematics and Science Lesson Plans Collected from Rwandan Schools

The data presented in this paper is related to Mathematics and Science lesson plans collected from Rwandan teachers. They were collected and analyzed to support researchers and teachers using the validated and reliable lesson plan analysis protocol (LPAP) and analyzing its data. We collected and analyzed 119 lesson plans from 26 Mathematics and Science teachers in Rwanda. These lesson plans were collected from the lockdown period (from March to May 2020) due to Covid-19, and teachers were contacted via phone calls. Teachers were solicited to provide lesson plans they had previously used. We used descriptive statistics to score the lesson plans, evaluate their effectiveness in a live class and inferential statistics to display differences among Mathematics and Science lesson plans. The data is available for researchers to reuse and will help teachers evaluate themselves.

The effect of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on women’s alcohol consumption in Victoria, Australia – an event-level study

ABSTRACT Background The aims of this study were to assess the impact of the lockdowns on Victorian women’s alcohol consumption and to examine impacts by age. Methods 149 Victorian women (Mage (SD) = 42.6 (12.7)) completed 2,416 weekly surveys between May 2020 and February 2021. Multi-level models were estimated to assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdown period and age on the frequency and quantity of participants’ weekly drinking. Results Overall, reductions in Victorian women’s alcohol consumption were observed during both lockdowns, although greater reductions were apparent during the stricter lockdown with curfew. Both lockdowns also resulted in larger reductions in weekly drinking quantity, with fewer changes to drinking frequency. Conclusions The COVID-19 lockdowns resulted in overall reductions in the quantity, and to a lesser extent, the frequency of women’s drinking in Victoria and these effects were significantly larger for younger women (aged 18–29).

Using a Smartphone-Based Chatbot for Postoperative Care After Intravitreal Injection During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Cohort Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, it was difficult to carry out regular and scheduled follow-up of patients in the outpatient department, especially during lockdown periods. However, early detection of initial infection or other serious conditions is vital for patients after ocular surgery, such as intravitreal injection (IVI) for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We evaluated the use of a smartphone-based postoperative care chatbot system (PCCS) with an instant bidirectional feedback system for patients to self-report postoperative symptoms and signs. During the COVID-19 level 3 epidemic alert in July 2021 in Taiwan, the PCCS alerted the patients to report and grade 6 ocular symptoms and signs associated with ocular inflammation or retinal detachment. Patients used the PCCS for 7 days post surgery to assess their symptoms and signs each day after receiving an alert. Data were automatically collected using a cloud computer system, including symptom grades and messages sent to medical staff for further medical assistance. A user satisfaction questionnaire was administered to the patients on the seventh day post surgery. In total, 185 patients participated in this study. There were 26 (3.03%) reports of symptom grade deterioration (including increased blurred vision, eye swelling, nausea, and floaters or flashes) from 12 (6.5%) patients. We found no difference in the gender of patients who received an early medical consultation. One case of endophthalmitis was reported, wherein an improvement was observed after prompt administration of IVI antibiotics twice. Overall, 87% (n=185) of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with communicating their symptoms instantly through the app; they were willing to use it again and believed that it could improve the quality of care. Seven of the 185 (3.8%) patients had an earlier medical consultation and 1 (0.5%) had endophthalmitis. The chatbot system, designed for self-reporting postoperative symptoms and providing instant bidirectional feedback on smartphones, could be beneficial for enhancing the quality of care in early medical consultations without gender differences among patients with AMD receiving IVI, and achieved satisfactory responses from patients.