Week in Review: Post-Call Relief for Residents, Visual Impairment in Working-Age Adults, Travoprost Implant Approval

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Ophthalmology residents need post-call relief to avoid burnout, say investigators at the University of Washington School of Medicine who conducted a study involving 2 cohorts of PGY-2 ophthalmology residents. One cohort was included in the school’s original optional post-call relief program (every-5-night home-call system; option to leave at noon the following day), and one cohort was included in the school’s new mandatory call relief program (partial night-float system; required to leave at noon the following day). Sleep and activities were monitored with wrist actigraphy. The number of median on-call sleep hours was higher in the mandatory-relief group than the optional-relief group (5.8 vs 4.0 hours). More and longer naps were taken in the mandatory-relief group, and that group also had significantly lower self-reported exhaustion and stress. The authors conclude that “increasing protected time post-call to allow for sleep recovery may be a beneficial intervention to reduce resident burnout.” BMC Medical Education

More working-age people worldwide are experiencing visual impairment. Between 1990 and 2019, the global prevalence of visual impairment among individuals aged 15–64 years increased by 91.5%, according to an analysis of data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. This corresponds to an age-standardized prevalence rate of 8287.82 per 100,000 population, up from 8034.44 per 100,000 population. Visual impairment–associated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) also increased in all age subgroups during this time period. The highest number of prevalent cases of visual impairment and visual impairment–associated DALYs were seen in the South Asia geographic region. While the authors note that the increases seen were partially due to the general increase in the working-age population, they note that this growing burden will have effects on socioeconomic productivity and overall well-being. JAMA Ophthalmology

Travoprost implant for IOP reduction is approved. On December 14, 2023, the US Food and Drug administration approved the iDose TR travoprost intracameral implant 75 mcg for the reduction of IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Approval was based on results from two phase 3 trials, which demonstrated the implant’s noninferiority to timolol ophthalmic solution in reducing IOP over 3 months. iDose TR is implanted directly into scleral tissue via the trabecular meshwork and the back wall of the Schlemm canal, and provides a continuous dose of medication. It is expected to be commercially available in the first quarter of 2024. Ophthalmology Times; US Food and Drug Administration