Correction: Summary of Glaucoma Diagnostic Testing Accuracy: An Evidence-Based Meta-Analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.14740/jocmr2643w.].

The pathway to RCTs: how many roads are there? Examining the homogeneity of RCT justification.

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) form the foundational background of modern medical practice. They are considered the highest quality of evidence, and their results help inform decisions concerning drug development and use, preventive therapies, and screening programs. However, the inputs that justify an RCT to be conducted have not been studied.

Summary of Glaucoma Diagnostic Testing Accuracy: An Evidence-Based Meta-Analysis.

Background: New glaucoma diagnostic technologies are penetrating clinical care and are changing rapidly. Having a systematic review of these technologies will help clinicians and decision makers and help identify gaps that need to be addressed. This systematic review studied five glaucoma technologies compared to the gold standard of white on white perimetry for glaucoma detection.

Diabetic retinopathy screening with pharmacy-based teleophthalmology in a semiurban setting: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Diabetic eye complications are the leading cause of visual loss among working-aged people. Pharmacy-based teleophthalmology has emerged as a possible alternative to in-person examination that may facilitate compliance with evidence-based recommendations and reduce barriers to specialized eye care. The objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of mobile teleophthalmology screening compared with in-person examination (primary care) for the diabetic population residing in semiurban areas of southwestern Ontario.

Systemic Immunosuppression in High-Risk Penetrating Keratoplasty: A Systematic Review.

Cornea transplantation has a high success rate and typically only requires topical immunomodulation. However, in high-risk cases, systemic immunosuppression can be used. We conducted a systematic review on the efficacy and side effects of systemic immunosuppression for high-risk cornea transplantation.

Graft rejection rate and graft failure rate of penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) vs lamellar procedures: a systematic review.

Purpose: The aim of our investigation was to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis of the present world literature comparing the major surgical outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) to lamellar procedures. Our goal is that clinicians, eye bank administrators, and health policy makers will be able to utilize this study in implementing decisions in regards to corneal transplantation.

Methods: Pooled measures of association were with odds ratios and because of study heterogeneity, the pooled effects were assumed to follow a random effects model (DerSimonian-Laird).

A systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis of tonometer disinfection methods.

Objective: The Goldmann applanation tonometer presents the problem of being one of the most widely used pieces of equipment in the ophthalmic clinic and a known risk factor for the transmission of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). The purpose of this review is to assess the effectiveness of 3 methods of disinfection: alcohol swabs, immersion in peroxide, and the use of disposable prisms. An economic evaluation is undertaken to assess the cost-effectiveness of the 3 alternatives.

Immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery: a cost-effective procedure.

Objective: The objective of this project was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) versus delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS) to determine whether ISBCS represents an appropriate, cost-effective way to rapidly rehabilitate a patient's visual impairment.

Design: A systematic review followed by a primary economic analysis with computer-based econometric modeling.

Participants: Not applicable.

A randomized clinical trial of selective laser trabeculoplasty versus argon laser trabeculoplasty in patients with pseudoexfoliation.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) versus argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) in lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension secondary to pseudoexfoliation.

Design: Multicentered randomized clinical trial.

Participants: A total of 76 eyes from 60 patients with pseudoexfoliation and uncontrolled IOP were recruited from 5 Canadian academic institutions.

An investigation of the relationship between cataract surgery wait times and rates of surgery.

Objective: The relationship between cataract surgery wait times and rates of surgery was investigated to determine whether wait times correlate with rates of surgery.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: We collected 2 Ontario registries for cataract surgeries: (i) Cancer Care Ontario wait time registry; and (ii) The Ontario Health Insurance Plan billing records.