Public Interest in Refractive Diseases and Treatments During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Google Trends Analysis

Purpose To assess national internet search trends/public interest in refractive diseases and treatments during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A Google Trends search for refractive terms was performed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Refractive terms were divided into disease and treatment terms. Relative search volume (RSV) indices were assessed in the United States from the initial lockdown period (March 1 - June 28), summer reopening period (July 5 - November 1), and winter case surge/vaccine rollout period (November 8 - February 28). A t-test of two independent samples assuming unequal variances was utilized in comparing the pandemic year to pooled data of overlapping weeks between 2016-2019. Results The majority of disease and treatment terms showed a significant decrease in RSV during the initial lockdown period (p<0.05). There was a significant increase in RSV for cataract, astigmatism, cataract surgery, and photorefractive keratotomy (PRK) (p<0.05), accompanied by a significant decrease in RSV for contact lens during the summer reopening period. There was a significant increase in RSV for cataract, astigmatism, glasses, and PRK, accompanied by a significant decrease in RSV for hyperopia, keratoconus, contact lens, and LASIK during the winter case surge/vaccine rollout period. Conclusion There was a significant decrease in the public interest in refractive diseases and treatments during the lockdown period, accompanied by an increase in interest later in the year. Decreased public interest can lead to delays in care, poorer health literacy, and potentially worse outcomes. Strategies to enhance public interest and care during the pandemic may prove to be beneficial.