China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Telemedicine in Ophthalmology
Published in Ching-Yu Cheng, Tien Yin Wong, Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 2022
Jane Scheetz, Samantha Simkin, Zachary Tan, Shuan Dai, Mingguang He
Teleophthalmology is a division of telemedicine that enables eye care to be delivered by using telecommunications technology and digital medical equipment. Over the last two decades, teleophthalmology has progressed from being a research concept to a fully functioning model of service delivery. As a speciality, ophthalmology has been a leader in telemedicine research and service delivery as imaging plays a significant role in the diagnosis of many ocular conditions. Prior to the development of telemedicine, ophthalmology services were unavailable in many parts of the world. A future shortage in practicing clinicians is predicted, with the number of ophthalmologists increasing at half the rate of the global population over 60 years of age (5). Further to this, current statistics show there are 23 countries with less than one ophthalmologist per million people (5). With an aging global population, the incidence of eye disease is certain to rise along with the demand for eye care professionals. Many ophthalmic conditions require timely assessment and treatment, placing a significant burden on eye care providers. Innovative methods of delivering ophthalmology services will be critical to the provision of eye care in the future.
Bias and Non-Diversity of Big Data in Artificial Intelligence: Focus on Retinal Diseases
Published in Seminars in Ophthalmology, 2023
Cris Martin P Jacoba, Leo Anthony Celi, Alice C. Lorch, Ward Fickweiler, Lucia Sobrin, Judy Wawira Gichoya, Lloyd P Aiello, Paolo S. Silva
In a study by Liu et al. on barriers to teleophthalmology DR screening in US rural communities, patients reported a median travel distance of 13.8 miles (range 9.2–23.1 miles) to arrive at their teleophthalmology facilities, which were located separately from the clinic of their primary healthcare providers.13 Travel distance and costs are a significant consideration especially for elderly patients with mobility issues and reduced work productivity where recurrent transportation expenses further decrease their limited healthcare budget. Economic constraints decrease access to DR screening, as most patients need to pay out-of-pocket costs for teleophthalmology services, which are usually not included in their limited insurance coverage.13 Patients with diabetes have an average medical expenditure that is ~2.3 times higher than patients without diabetes, amounting to ~$16,750 annually per person in 2017. Since these patients spend so much on healthcare for various reasons, routine asymptomatic vision screens are often not a priority.45
Use of Telemedicine in Pediatric Ophthalmology in the Underserved Population
Published in Seminars in Ophthalmology, 2023
Lauren Hennein, Benjamin Jastrzembski, Ankoor S. Shah
Telemedicine has significantly transformed over the past several years due to the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.35 Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine patient visits increased between 257% to 700%.35 Clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic has moved telemedicine into the forefront of clinical ophthalmology as telemedicine reduces the risk of exposure for both the patient and the provider.28 Some more recently appreciated benefits of teleophthalmology include the delivery of eye care when access to an eye provider is limited, reduction of travel burden (i.e. time, distance, and cost), and a decreased risk for vulnerable individuals such as those who are immunocompromised.17 Several articles have explored the use of teleophthalmology between eye providers and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and have demonstrated that teleophthalmology can be a practical approach to delivering eye care28,30,35 particularly in the ophthalmic subspecialties of pediatrics, neuro-ophthalmology, and oculoplastics.30 Of note, synchronous “emergency teleophthalmology” between emergency department providers and ophthalmologists has also been shown to offer accurate and safe triage decisions36 that can expand the provider team and improve care coordination.37
Live teleophthalmology avoids escalation of referrals to secondary care during COVID-19 lockdown
Published in Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 2021
Fadi R Ghazala, Ruth Hamilton, Mario E Giardini, Andrew Ferguson, Olivia BL Poyser, Iain AT Livingstone
Teleophthalmology is the remote provision of ophthalmic care by telecommunication technologies. Asynchronous ’store-and-forward’ technologies1 are beneficial in some settings2 but are less useful for real-time decisions in primary care. Live teleophthalmology using video conferencing allows three-way consultation between the community optometrist, the patient and the secondary care ophthalmologist, reduces uncertainty around slit lamp signs, and limits unwarranted referrals to secondary care.3 Experience with live teleophthalmology is limited. Surveys are commonly used to assess telemedicine, and anonymous data collection captures individual experiences confidentially without jeopardising the clinical relationship.4