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Can Digital Instruments Like the Macula-App Support AMD Therapy?

BACKGROUND
A long lasting and continuous anti VEGF-therapy represents a gold standard in nAMD treatment to maintain and stabilize vision in the individual patient. Disease Management represents a daily life challenge for patients and relatives and "Real-life" clinical outcomes of patients treated with IVOM therapy are often inferior to results from randomized clinical trials. After their diagnosis, AMD-patients undergo individualized long-term therapeutic approaches. An important success factor is, that this care is patient centered and provided continuously. This study aimed at evaluating, whether digital tools, such as Makula-App 1.0 developed by the AMD-Netz can support AMD patients.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
The results of a user survey integrated in the Makula-App 1.0 (n = 110) as well as the results of an additional survey on the topic of "Digital appointment management in IVOM therapy" by ophthalmologists (n = 54) and patients (n = 60) were analysed with respect to use and acceptance of the Makula-App.


RESULTS
The survey revealed: 79% of Makula-App user rely on the information presented, 71% perceive the device helpful for their daily life and 80% would recommend the device. 52% of ophthalmologists and 65% of patients regard clear benefits of future digital tools for patient adherence. A digital appointment management function is rated as important by 82% of ophthalmologists.


CONCLUSIONS
User perceived Makula-App 1.0 as well as its future development options as beneficial especially for the management of appointment arrangements but also as information tool. Ophthalmologists confirm the importance and usefulness of devices such as Makula-App 1.0 with respect to an optimized management of appointments and an improved patient adherence. These promising results support the future development of a Makula-App 2.0 platform, providing interfaces for an information exchange between patient and treating ophthalmologist.