The Evolution of Teleophthalmology Programs in the United Kingdom: Beyond Diabetic Retinopathy Screening

Achieving net-zero in the dry eye disease care pathway

Climate change is a threat to human health and wellbeing across the world. In recent years, there has been a surge in awareness of this crisis, leading to many countries and organisations setting "net-zero" targets. This entails minimising carbon emissions and neutralising remaining emissions by removing carbon from the atmosphere. At the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), commitments to transition away from fossil fuels and augment climate targets were underwhelming. It is therefore imperative for public and private sector organisations to demonstrate successful implementation of net-zero and set a precedent for the global political consensus. As a top 10 world employer, the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) has pledged to reach net-zero by 2045. The NHS has already taken positive steps forward, but its scale and complexity as a health system means stakeholders in each of its services must highlight the specifications for further progress. Dry eye disease is a chronic illness with an estimated global prevalence of 29.5% and an environmentally damaging care pathway. Moreover, environmental damage is a known aggravator of dry eye disease. Worldwide management of this illness generates copious amounts of non-recyclable waste, utilises inefficient supply chains and involves recurrent follow-up appointments and prescriptions. By mapping the dry eye disease care pathway to environmental impact, in this review we will highlight seven key areas in which reduced emissions and pollution could be targeted. Examining these approaches for improved environmental sustainability is critical in driving the transformation needed to preserve our health and wellbeing.

Social determinants of health and health disparities in glaucoma: A review

Social determinants of health and barriers to care can significantly impact patients' access to glaucoma care and treatment, resulting in disparities within disease presentation, progression, management, and treatment outcomes. The widespread adoption of electronic health record systems has allowed researchers and clinicians to further explore these relationships, identifying factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to be risk factors for more severe disease and lower treatment adherence. These disparities highlight potential targets for interventions to combat these disparities and improve overall patient outcomes. This article provides a summary of the available data on health disparities within glaucoma disease presentation, progression, management, treatment, and outcomes and discusses interventions to improve care delivery and outcomes among patients with glaucoma.

Teleophthalmology at a primary and tertiary eye care network from India: environmental and economic impact

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the environmental and economic impact of teleophthalmological services provided by a primary (rural) and tertiary (urban) eyecare network in India.

METHODS

This prospective study utilised a random sampling method, and administered an environmental and economic impact assessment questionnaire. The study included 324 (primary: 173; tertiary: 151) patients who received teleconsultations from July to September 2022. The primary network (rural) used a colour-coded triage system (Green: eye conditions managed by teleconsult alone; yellow: semi-urgent referral within 1 week to a month, red: urgent referral within a day to a week). The tertiary network (urban) included new and follow-up patients. The environmental impact was assessed by estimating the potential CO2 emissions saved by avoiding travel for various transport modes. Economic impact measured by the potential cost savings from direct (travel) and indirect (food and wages lost) expenses spent by yellow and red referrals (primary) and the first-visit expenses of follow-up (tertiary) patients.

RESULTS

The primary rural network saved 2.89 kg CO2/person and 80 km/person. The tertiary urban network saved 176.6 kg CO2/person and 1666 km/person. The potential cost savings on travel expenses were INR 19,970 (USD 250) for the primary (average: INR 370 (USD 4.6) per patient) and INR 758,870 (USD 9486) for the tertiary network (average: INR 8339 (USD 104) per patient). Indirect cost savings (food and wages) were of INR 29,100 (USD 364) for the primary and INR 347,800 (USD 4347) for the tertiary network.

CONCLUSION

Teleophthalmology offers substantial environmental and economic benefits in rural and urban eyecare systems.

Efficacy and Safety outcomes of a novel model to assess new medical retina referrals in a high-volume medical retina virtual clinic

BACKGROUND

Ophthalmology outpatient attendances have significantly increased recently with rising pressure from backlogs arising from the pandemic. Medical retina digital surveillance clinics for stable follow-up appointments are well established. We present a model for assessing new referrals and evaluating clinical outcomes and long-term sustainability in a complex high-volume medical retina service.

METHODS

Suitable routine new patient referrals were identified from electronic referrals and referred to this new pathway. Structured history, visual acuities, and intraocular pressures were recorded, and widefield colour fundus and optical coherence tomography imaging were performed at a imaging hub for asynchronous consultant-led review.

RESULTS

1458 patients were invited to attend over four months, with a 13.2% did-not-attend (DNA) rate. Common diagnoses included stable diabetic retinopathy (19.9%), early age-related macular degeneration (6.7%), central serous retinopathy (8.8%), and retinal vein occlusion (6.3%). 7 patients (0.05%) required urgent same-day review. 61 (5.0%) required urgent face-to-face (F2F) assessment within two weeks. A total of 727 (59.0%) were either discharged or remained in the virtual pathway following their first visit.

CONCLUSION

This study encourages the use of a digital model that efficiently assesses suitable newly referred medical retina patients in both complex and local eye unit settings. This decreased the need for F2F clinics and resources. Further patient satisfaction surveys for digital services are currently being evaluated to guide long-term sustainability of this model.

12. Retinopathy, Neuropathy, and Foot Care: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, an interprofessional expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Clinician-Driven AI: Code-Free Self-Training on Public Data for Diabetic Retinopathy Referral

Importance

Democratizing artificial intelligence (AI) enables model development by clinicians with a lack of coding expertise, powerful computing resources, and large, well-labeled data sets.

Objective

To determine whether resource-constrained clinicians can use self-training via automated machine learning (ML) and public data sets to design high-performing diabetic retinopathy classification models.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This diagnostic quality improvement study was conducted from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. A self-training method without coding was used on 2 public data sets with retinal images from patients in France (Messidor-2 [n = 1748]) and the UK and US (EyePACS [n = 58 689]) and externally validated on 1 data set with retinal images from patients of a private Egyptian medical retina clinic (Egypt [n = 210]). An AI model was trained to classify referable diabetic retinopathy as an exemplar use case. Messidor-2 images were assigned adjudicated labels available on Kaggle; 4 images were deemed ungradable and excluded, leaving 1744 images. A total of 300 images randomly selected from the EyePACS data set were independently relabeled by 3 blinded retina specialists using the International Classification of Diabetic Retinopathy protocol for diabetic retinopathy grade and diabetic macular edema presence; 19 images were deemed ungradable, leaving 281 images. Data analysis was performed from February 1 to February 28, 2021.

Exposures

Using public data sets, a teacher model was trained with labeled images using supervised learning. Next, the resulting predictions, termed pseudolabels, were used on an unlabeled public data set. Finally, a student model was trained with the existing labeled images and the additional pseudolabeled images.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The analyzed metrics for the models included the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score. The Fisher exact test was performed, and 2-tailed P values were calculated for failure case analysis.

Results

For the internal validation data sets, AUROC values for performance ranged from 0.886 to 0.939 for the teacher model and from 0.916 to 0.951 for the student model. For external validation of automated ML model performance, AUROC values and accuracy were 0.964 and 93.3% for the teacher model, 0.950 and 96.7% for the student model, and 0.890 and 94.3% for the manually coded bespoke model, respectively.

Conclusions and Relevance

These findings suggest that self-training using automated ML is an effective method to increase both model performance and generalizability while decreasing the need for costly expert labeling. This approach advances the democratization of AI by enabling clinicians without coding expertise or access to large, well-labeled private data sets to develop their own AI models.

Implementation and scalability of shared care models for chronic eye disease: a realist assessment informed by health system stakeholders in Finland, the United Kingdom, and Australia

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Several health systems have implemented innovative models of care which share the management of patients with chronic eye diseases between ophthalmologists and optometrists. These models have demonstrated positive outcomes for health systems including increased access for patients, service efficiency and cost-savings. This study aims to understand factors which support successful implementation and scalability of these models of care.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 key health system stakeholders (clinicians, managers, administrators, policy-makers) in Finland, United Kingdom and Australia between October 2018 and February 2020. Data were analyzed using a realist framework to identify the contexts, mechanisms of action, and outcomes of sustained and emerging shared care schemes.

RESULTS

Five key themes relating to successful implementation of shared care were identified as (1) clinician-led solutions, (2) redistributing teams, (3) building inter-disciplinary trust, (4) using evidence for buy-in, and (5) standardized care protocols. Scalability was found to be supported by (6) financial incentives, (7) integrated information systems, (8) local governance, and (9) a need for evidence of longer-term health and economic benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

The themes and program theories presented in this paper should be considered when testing and scaling shared eye care schemes to optimize benefits and promote sustainability.

A technological approach to "Reaching the Unreached" - Leveraging teleophthalmology services in Rural Gujarat

Purpose

Early detection of sight-threatening disorders by technological applications like teleophthalmology and prompt treatment can help decrease visual impairment. This study evaluated the role of teleophthalmology in underserved rural areas along with cost-saving estimates for the end user.

Methods

A prospective, observational, cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted over 3 months. First 1000 teleconsultations were included. None of the patients denied providing informed consent. The patients were consulted at the eight vision centers and three satellite centers of the hospital in the nearby rural and tribal regions closer to their residential places. These vision and satellite centers were connected to the base hospital like a hub and spoke model with a teleophthalmology network.

Results

Cataract (n = 301, 30.1%) and refractive error (n = 290, 29%) were the most common diagnosis. 42.1% of patients were referred to base hospital for further evaluation. Thus, a total of 57.9% of patients were not required to visit the base hospital for initial consultation, saving time and money. Furthermore, 15.1% of patients were provided medical treatment at the vision center and satellite center, which helped in making teleophthalmology cost-saving for the patients. An average of Rs. 621/- were saved per patient for the community in our study.

Conclusion

Networked teleophthalmology model can be an affordable and feasible tool for providing eye care delivery services in rural and tribal regions of Gujarat and the whole country, especially for the end user. Thus, it may be a workable model in ophthalmology practice with substantial cost saving to the community.

Effectiveness of telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening in the USA: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of vision loss among adults in the USA. Vision loss associated with diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with timely ophthalmologic care, and therefore, it is recommended that individuals with diabetes have annual retinal examinations. There is limited evidence on whether using telemedicine to screen for DR in primary care clinics in the USA effectively leads to increased DR screening rates. The objective of this systematic review is to collate evidence from existing studies to investigate the effectiveness of telemedicine DR screening (TDRS) in primary care clinics on DR screening rates.

METHODS

Relevant studies will be identified through searching MEDLINE/PubMed interface, Scopus, and Web of Science from their inception until November 2021, as well as searching reference lists of included studies and previous related review articles or systematic reviews. There will be no restrictions on study design. Eligible studies will include subjects with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, will evaluate telemedicine technology for screening of DR, will have been conducted in the USA, and will report DR screening rates or data necessary for calculating such rates. Two reviewers will screen search results independently. Risk-of-bias assessment and data extraction will be carried out by two reviewers. The version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2) and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) tool will be used to assess the quality and validity of individual studies. If feasible, we will conduct random-effects meta-analysis where appropriate. If possible, we will conduct subgroup analyses to explore potential heterogeneity sources (setting, socio-economic status, age, ethnicity, study design, outcomes). We will disseminate the findings through publications and relevant networks.

DISCUSSION

This protocol outlines the methods for systematic review and synthesis of evidence of TDRS and its effect on DR screening rates. The results will be of interest to policy makers and program managers tasked with designing and implementing evidence-based services to prevent and manage diabetes and its complications in similar settings.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42021231067.

Big data in corneal diseases and cataract: Current applications and future directions

The accelerated growth in electronic health records (EHR), Internet-of-Things, mHealth, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence (AI) in the recent years have significantly fuelled the interest and development in big data research. Big data refer to complex datasets that are characterized by the attributes of "5 Vs"-variety, volume, velocity, veracity, and value. Big data analytics research has so far benefitted many fields of medicine, including ophthalmology. The availability of these big data not only allow for comprehensive and timely examinations of the epidemiology, trends, characteristics, outcomes, and prognostic factors of many diseases, but also enable the development of highly accurate AI algorithms in diagnosing a wide range of medical diseases as well as discovering new patterns or associations of diseases that are previously unknown to clinicians and researchers. Within the field of ophthalmology, there is a rapidly expanding pool of large clinical registries, epidemiological studies, omics studies, and biobanks through which big data can be accessed. National corneal transplant registries, genome-wide association studies, national cataract databases, and large ophthalmology-related EHR-based registries (e.g., AAO IRIS Registry) are some of the key resources. In this review, we aim to provide a succinct overview of the availability and clinical applicability of big data in ophthalmology, particularly from the perspective of corneal diseases and cataract, the synergistic potential of big data, AI technologies, internet of things, mHealth, and wearable smart devices, and the potential barriers for realizing the clinical and research potential of big data in this field.

12. Retinopathy, Neuropathy, and Foot Care: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Teleophthalmology research: Where do we stand?

PURPOSE

To identify global research trends in teleophthalmology, as well as productivity and its association with Human development index (HDI).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study. The main outcome measures were publication count, citation count, and publications count per million populations. Bibliographic data were derived from the Web of Science website. HDI data were derived from Human Development Report [2020]. One-way ANOVA test was used to examine the association between HDI and the outcome measures. We studied the correlation between continuous variables using Spearman's. Bibliometric analysis software's VOSviewer and Citspace were used to analyse results and creating visualizing maps.

RESULTS

The results retrieved 355 publications, one-third of them have been published in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2020). The USA has contributed to one-half of all publications, and just five countries have contributed to about 90% of all records. Very high HDI countries had significantly more publications count per million populations, than high (p-value = 0.0047), medium (p-value = 0.0081) or low HDI countries (p-value = 0.002). The main themes are screening programmes, reliability, photography, COVID-19, access, artificial intelligence, and cost-effectiveness. The leading countries in terms of both publications and citation count are the USA and India. In terms of publications count per million populations, the leading countries are Singapore and Australia.

CONCLUSION

Most of the contribution in teleophthalmology research was confined to a small number of countries. More effort is needed to expand the global contribution. The hotspots in this field are artificial intelligence applications and COVID-19 impact.

Social Determinants of Health and Impact on Screening, Prevalence, and Management of Diabetic Retinopathy in Adults: A Narrative Review

Diabetic retinal disease (DRD) is the leading cause of blindness among working-aged individuals with diabetes. In the United States, underserved and minority populations are disproportionately affected by diabetic retinopathy and other diabetes-related health outcomes. In this narrative review, we describe racial disparities in the prevalence and screening of diabetic retinopathy, as well as the wide-range of disparities associated with social determinants of health (SDOH), which include socioeconomic status, geography, health-care access, and education.

Update on Current and Future Management for Diabetic Maculopathy

Diabetic macular edema (DME) remains the major cause of preventable blindness in the working-age population in developed countries, and screening programs are extremely important in the management of this complication of diabetic retinopathy. The introduction of modern imaging modalities and technological advances have facilitated both the early detection and the follow-up of patients with DME, particularly optical coherence tomography angiography and artificial intelligence. Intravitreal therapy is the gold standard treatment for DME, but not all patients respond equally to this therapy, and sometimes it is not easy to apply treatment protocols correctly; for these reasons, clinical practice results may differ from those of clinical trials in terms of vision gain. One approach has been to implement new treatment regimens, such as treat and extend, and new molecules and therapeutic targets are constantly being developed. The main goal of this review paper is to describe the current treatment options and management strategies for DME in Europe and to provide a brief oversight of the novel therapeutic options on the horizon.

12. Retinopathy, Neuropathy, and Foot Care: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2022

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SPPC), are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SINT). Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Exploring Ophthalmologists' Adoption of Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic promoted hitherto unseen uptake of telemedicine by ophthalmologists. We performed a mixed methods study to explore patters of utilization during the pandemic and perceived future utility.

METHODS

Ophthalmologists practicing in Canada between March and July 2020 were invited to complete an online questionnaire assessing demographics, clinical practice characteristics and telemedicine utilization prior to and during the pandemic. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used to analyze the data. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify groups who varied on the types of visits offered using telemedicine. Ten one-on-one interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic content analysis to explain trends observed in the survey data.

RESULTS

Seventy-three ophthalmologists completed the survey. Six percent reported using telemedicine prior to the pandemic compared to 80% during the pandemic. A significant majority (81%) primarily used the telephone for telemedicine visits. Overall, visit volumes during the pandemic declined to 40% of pre-pandemic levels, with a smaller decline for ophthalmologists who used telemedicine than those who did not. Those who used telemedicine for all visit types were more likely to use telemedicine software and to anticipate a modest-to-large role for telemedicine in their future practice.

DISCUSSION

For many ophthalmologists, integrating telemedicine into clinical practice may have partially offset the disruption to normal clinical activities during the pandemic. While the majority saw telemedicine as a temporary solution, a sizeable minority appear to have made considerable use of the technology and see an ongoing role for it once regular clinical activities resume.

Teleophthalmology and Artificial Intelligence As Game Changers in Ophthalmic Care After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic has boosted a sudden demand for telemedicine due to quarantine and travel restrictions. The exponential increase in the use of telemedicine is expected to affect ophthalmology drastically. The aim of this review is to discuss the utility, effectiveness and challenges of teleophthalmological new tools for eyecare delivery as well as its implementation and possible facilitation with artificial intelligence. We used the terms: “teleophthalmology,” “telemedicine and COVID-19,” “retinal diseases and telemedicine,” “virtual ophthalmology,” “cost effectiveness of teleophthalmology,” “pediatric teleophthalmology,” “Artificial intelligence and ophthalmology,” “Glaucoma and teleophthalmology” and “teleophthalmology limitations” in the database of PubMed and selected the articles being published in the course of 2015-2020. After the initial search, 321 articles returned as relevant. A meticulous screening followed and eventually 103 published manuscripts were included and used as our references. Emerging in the market, teleophthalmology is showing great potential for the future of ophthalmological care, benefiting both patients and ophthalmologists in times of pandemics. The spectrum of eye diseases that could benefit from teleophthalmology is wide, including mostly retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration but also glaucoma and anterior segment conditions. Simultaneously, artificial intelligence provides ways of implementing teleophthalmology easier and with better outcomes, contributing as significant changing factors for ophthalmology practice after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telemedical Diabetic Retinopathy Screening in a Primary Care Setting: Quality of Retinal Photographs and Accuracy of Automated Image Analysis

Background: Screening for diabetic eye disease (DED) and general diabetes care is often separate, which leads to delays and low adherence to DED screening recommendations. Thus, we assessed the feasibility, achieved image quality, and possible barriers of telemedical DED screening in a point-of-care general practice setting and the accuracy of an automated algorithm for detection of DED.Methods: Patients with diabetes were recruited at general practices. Retinal images were acquired using a non-mydriatic camera (CenterVue, Italy) by medical assistants. Images were quality assessed and double graded by two graders. All images were also graded automatically using a commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm (EyeArt version 2.1.0, Eyenuk Inc.).Results: A total of 75 patients (147 eyes; mean age 69 years, 96% type 2 diabetes) were included. Most of the patients (51; 68%) preferred DED screening at the general practice, but only twenty-four (32%) were willing to pay for this service. Images of 63 patients (84%) were determined to be evaluable, and DED was diagnosed in 6 patients (8.0%). The algorithm's positive/negative predictive values (95% confidence interval) were 0.80 (0.28-0.99)/1.00 (0.92-1.00) and 0.75 (0.19-0.99)/0.98 (0.88-1.00) for detection of any DED and referral-warranted DED, respectively.Overall, the number of referrals was 18 (24%) for manual telemedical assessment and 31 (41%) for the artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, resulting in a relative increase of referrals by 72% when using AI.Conclusions: Our study shows that achieved overall image quality in a telemedical GP-based DED screening was sufficient and that it would be accepted by medical assistants and patients in most cases. However, good image quality and integration into existing workflow remain challenging. Based on these findings, a larger-scale implementation study is warranted.

Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema pathways and management: UK Consensus Working Group

The management of diabetic retinopathy (DR) has evolved considerably over the past decade, with the availability of new technologies (diagnostic and therapeutic). As such, the existing Royal College of Ophthalmologists DR Guidelines (2013) are outdated, and to the best of our knowledge are not under revision at present. Furthermore, there are no other UK guidelines covering all available treatments, and there seems to be significant variation around the UK in the management of diabetic macular oedema (DMO). This manuscript provides a summary of reviews the pathogenesis of DR and DMO, including role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and non-VEGF cytokines, clinical grading/classification of DMO vis a vis current terminology (of centre-involving [CI-DMO], or non-centre involving [nCI-DMO], systemic risks and their management). The excellent UK DR Screening (DRS) service has continued to evolve and remains world-leading. However, challenges remain, as there are significant variations in equipment used, and reproducible standards of DMO screening nationally. The interphase between DRS and the hospital eye service can only be strengthened with further improvements. The role of modern technology including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and wide-field imaging, and working practices including virtual clinics and their potential in increasing clinic capacity and improving patient experiences and outcomes are discussed. Similarly, potential roles of home monitoring in diabetic eyes in the future are explored. The role of pharmacological (intravitreal injections [IVT] of anti-VEGFs and steroids) and laser therapies are summarised. Generally, IVT anti-VEGF are offered as first line pharmacologic therapy. As requirements of diabetic patients in particular patient groups may vary, including pregnant women, children, and persons with learning difficulties, it is important that DR management is personalised in such particular patient groups. First choice therapy needs to be individualised in these cases and may be intravitreal steroids rather than the standard choice of anti-VEGF agents. Some of these, but not all, are discussed in this document.

Teleophthalmology Screening for Early Detection of Ocular Diseases in Underserved Populations in Israel

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an innovative telemedicine community-based intervention to increase detection of previously undiagnosed ocular diseases in high-risk populations in Israel. Methods: A team comprising an ocular technician, a project manager, and a driver was sent to underserved areas in Israel. Patient demographics, ocular, and medical information were recorded. Visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure and fundus photographs were obtained. The data were transferred to the Ophthalmology Reading Center in Tel-Aviv Medical Center, where it was interpreted by an ophthalmologist. A letter was sent to the patients indicating examination results. It instructed them to return for a follow-up examination if indicated. Results: A total of 124 individuals underwent telemedicine remote screening examinations in 10 locations. The mean age was 79.9 ± 7.2 years, with female predominance of 67%. The major pathologies detected were (1) reduction in VA >6/12 in at least one eye (n = 48, 38.7%); (2) glaucoma suspicion in the optic disk (n = 18, 14.5%); (3) ocular hypertension >21 mmHg (n = 15, 12.1%); (4) age-related macular degeneration (AMD; n = 15, 12.1%); (5) diabetic retinopathy (n = 6, 4.8%); (6) visually significant cataract (n = 6, 4.8%); and (7) other pathologies (n = 11, 8.9%); 97.7% of the patients reported high satisfaction rates (they were satisfied or very satisfied from the project model). Conclusions: Our pilot telemedicine screening project effectively detected ocular diseases in underserved areas in Israel and helped improve access to eye care. This project has the potential of reaching a national level, allow for early diagnosis, and prevent vision loss and blindness in underserved areas.

Patterns and Characteristics of a Clinical Implementation of a Self-Monitoring Program for Retina Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE

We describe the large-scale self-initiated recruitment of patients to a self-monitoring initiative for macular pathologic features during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

DESIGN

Observational study with retrospective analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2272 patients from the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) whose visits were rescheduled over lockdown (April 13-June 1, 2020) were offered participation in a self-monitoring initiative administered by SNEC with the Alleye application (Switzerland) as the testing instrument.

METHODS

This was an observational study with retrospective analysis. Demographics and characteristics were compared between those who signed up and those who did not. Similar comparisons were made between patients who complied with the initiative versus those who did not. Outcomes were tracked for 6 months starting from the commencement of lockdown.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Participation and compliance rates and characteristics of patients who were more likely to participate and comply with the initiative.

RESULTS

Seven hundred thirty-two patients (32%) participated in this self-monitoring initiative. Those who participated were younger (62 years of age vs. 68 years of age; P < 0.001), men, and living with family. Patients not receiving treatment and those with poorer vision in the worse-seeing eye were more likely to participate. When grouped according to diagnosis, the proportion who participated was highest for diabetic macular edema (52%), nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD; 42%), diabetic retinopathy (35%), retinal vein occlusions (18%), and neovascular AMD (15%; P < 0.001). Testing compliance rate was 43% (315/732). Patients who complied with the initiative were older, were receiving treatment, and had poorer vision in the worse-seeing eye. Trigger events occurred in 33 patients, with 5 patients having clinically verified disease progression (1.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

We provide clinical data on characteristics of patients with stable retinal diseases who were offered, participated in, and complied with a self-monitoring program. The lower participation rate compared with standardized clinical studies reflects the difficulties in implementation for such initiatives in clinical settings. Despite this, self-monitoring continues to show promise in relieving clinic resources, suggesting the feasibility of scaling such programs beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

11. Microvascular Complications and Foot Care: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2021

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-SPPC), are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-SINT). Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Diabetic retinopathy screening in urban primary care setting with a handheld smartphone-based retinal camera

AIMS

To evaluate diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening with a portable handheld smartphone-based retinal camera and telemedicine in an urban primary healthcare setting and to evaluate the learning curve for image acquisition, performed by healthcare personnel without previous experience in retinal imaging.

METHODS

This was a prospective study that enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) followed at a primary healthcare unit in São Paulo, Brazil. After a brief training in image acquisition, there was further continuous feedback given by a retina specialist during the remote image reading process. Each patient underwent two fundus and one anterior ocular segment images per eye, after mydriasis. Patients were classified according to the need of referral.

RESULTS

A total of 627 adult individuals with T2DM underwent retinal evaluation. The population was composed by 63.2% female individuals, age median of 66 years, diabetes duration 10.7 ± 8.2 years and HbA1c 7.7 ± 1.9% (61 + 20.8 mmol/mol). The most prevalent associated comorbidities were arterial hypertension (80.3%) and dyslipidemia (50.2%). Referral decision was possible in 81.2% patients. Most patients had absent or non-referable DR; the main ocular media opacity detected was cataract. After the 7th day of image acquisition, the daily rate of patients whose images allowed clinical decision was maintained above 80%. A higher HbA1c was associated with referable DR.

CONCLUSIONS

A low-cost DR screening strategy with a handheld device and telemedicine is feasible and has the potential to increase coverage of DR screening in underserved areas; the possibility of mobile units is relevant for DR screening in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Daily rate of patients whose examinations allowed clinical decision. X-axis: day of examination; Y-axis: rate (%) of patients whose examinations allowed a clinical decision.

Overcoming barriers of retinal care delivery during a pandemic—attitudes and drivers for the implementation of digital health: a global expert survey

Background/Aims

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has imposed barriers to retinal care delivery worldwide. In this context, retinal services are exploring novel ways to ensure access to healthcare.

Methods

We conducted a worldwide survey among retinal specialists between March 31, 2020 and April 12, 2020. The expert survey was developed on the basis of focus group discussions involving retinal specialists and literature searches. It included 44 questions on alternative ways of care provision including digital health domains such as teleophthalmology, home monitoring or decentralised patient care.

Results

214 retinal experts participated in the survey, of which 120 (56.1%) had more than 15 years of experience in ophthalmology. Most participants were clinicians (n=158, 73.9%) practising in Western Europe (n=159, 74%). In the majority of institutions, teleophthalmology, home monitoring and decentralised patient care have not been implemented before the pandemic (n=46, 21.8.1%; n=64, 29.9%; n=38, 19.1%). During the pandemic, the use of teleophthalmology and home monitoring increased significantly (n=105, p<0.001; n=90, p<0.001). In the subgroup of institutions reporting no teleophthalmology service before and implementing a service during the pandemic (34/70, 48.6%), reimbursement was the sole significant parameter (OR 9.62 (95% CI 2.42 to 38.16); p<0.001).

Conclusion

Digital health is taking the centre stage tackling unpreceded challenges of retinal care delivery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and may sustainably change the way we practice ophthalmology.

The role of tele-ophthalmology in diabetic retinopathy screening

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of legal blindness in the United States. Considering the increasing incidence of DR, it is extremely important to detect the most cost-effective tools for DR screening, so as to manage this surge in demand and the socioeconomic burden it places on the health care system. Despite the advances in retinal imaging, analysis techniques are still superseded by expert ophthalmologist interpretation. Teleophthalmology presents an immense opportunity, with high rates of sensitivity and specificity, to manage the steadily increasing demand for eye care of patients with diabetes, but challenges remain in the delivery of practical, viable, and clinically proven solutions.

Advances in Telemedicine in Ophthalmology

Telemedicine is the provision of healthcare-related services from a distance and is poised to move healthcare from the physician's office back into the patient's home. The field of ophthalmology is often at the forefront of technological advances in medicine including telemedicine and the use of artificial intelligence. Multiple studies have demonstrated the reliability of tele-ophthalmology for use in screening and diagnostics and have demonstrated benefits to patients, physicians, as well as payors. There remain obstacles to widespread implementation, but recent legislation and regulation passed due to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic have helped to reduce some of these barriers. This review describes the current status of tele-ophthalmology in the United States including benefits, hurdles, current programs, technology, and developments in artificial intelligence. With ongoing advances patients may benefit from improved detection and earlier treatment of eye diseases, resulting in better care and improved visual outcomes.

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening with Automated Retinal Image Analysis in a Primary Care Setting Improves Adherence to Ophthalmic Care

PURPOSE

Retinal screening examinations can prevent vision loss resulting from diabetes but are costly and highly underused. We hypothesized that artificial intelligence-assisted nonmydriatic point-of-care screening administered during primary care visits would increase the adherence to recommendations for follow-up eye care in patients with diabetes.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults 18 years of age or older with a clinical diagnosis of diabetes being cared for in a metropolitan primary care practice for low-income patients.

METHODS

All participants underwent nonmydriatic fundus photography followed by automated retinal image analysis with human supervision. Patients with positive or inconclusive screening results were referred for comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation. Adherence to referral recommendations was recorded and compared with the historical adherence rate from the same clinic.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Rate of adherence to eye screening recommendations.

RESULTS

By automated screening, 8.3% of the 180 study participants had referable diabetic eye disease, 13.3% had vision-threatening disease, and 29.4% showed inconclusive results. The remaining 48.9% showed negative screening results, confirmed by human overread, and were not referred for follow-up ophthalmic evaluation. Overall, the automated platform showed a sensitivity of 100% (confidence interval, 92.3%-100%) in detecting an abnormal screening results, whereas its specificity was 65.7% (confidence interval, 57.0%-73.7%). Among patients referred for follow-up ophthalmic evaluation, the adherence rate was 55.4% at 1 year compared with the historical adherence rate of 18.7% (P < 0.0001, Fisher exact test).

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of an automated diabetic retinopathy screening system in a primary care clinic serving a low-income metropolitan patient population improved adherence to follow-up eye care recommendations while reducing referrals for patients with low-risk features.

Could telehealth help eye care practitioners adapt contact lens services during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated government-imposed restrictions on social interactions and travel. For many, the guidance has led to new ways of working, most notably a shift towards working remotely. While eye care practitioners (ECPs) may continue to provide urgent or emergency eye care, in many cases the travel restrictions present a unique challenge by preventing conventional face-to-face examination. Telephone triage provides a useful starting point for establishing at-risk and emergency patients; but patient examination is central to contact lens patient care. The indeterminate period over which conventional practice will be suspended, and the risk that resumption of 'normal' practice could be impeded by a potential secondary peak in COVID-19 cases, hastens the need for practitioners to adapt their delivery of eyecare. Specifically, it is prudent to reflect upon supportive evidence for more comprehensive approaches to teleoptometry in contact lens practice. Smartphone based ocular imaging is an area which has seen considerable growth, particularly for imaging the posterior eye. Smartphone imaging of the anterior eye requires additional specialised instrumentation unlikely to be available to patients at home. Further, there is only limited evidence for self-administered image capture. In general, digital photographs, are useful for detection of gross anterior eye changes, but subtle changes are less discernible. For the assessment of visual acuity, many electronic test charts have been validated for use by practitioners. Research into self-administered visual acuity measures remains limited. The absence of a comprehensive evidence base for teleoptometry limits ECPs, particularly during this pandemic. Knowledge gaps ought to be addressed to facilitate development of optometry specific evidence-based guidance for telecare. In particular, advances in ocular self-imaging could help move this field forwards.

[Medial retina clinics in 2030 : A peek into the future]

Ophthalmology is subject to constant change. Almost two decades ago the OCT (optical coherence tomography) technology was introduced into ophthalmological practice. Nowadays, artificial intelligence and telemedicine are talked about everywhere. This article gives an overview of the tools currently available in both fields. As an outlook into the year 2030, the working day of an ophthalmologist is described. All innovations discussed in this article will be available in clinical practice by then.

Why Miss the Chance? Incidental Findings while Telescreening for Diabetic Retinopathy

PURPOSE

To report on incidental pathological findings met while screening for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in Diabetes Clinics (DC) by ophthalmologist-graded digital fundus imaging.

METHODS

At the DC of Pescara (central Italy), for 3,859 eyes of 1,930 consecutive patients having not undergone fundus examination in the last year, two mydriatic fundus digital images, taken with a CenterVue DRS Digital Retinal Camera, were sent along with Best Corrected Visual Acuity, on a "store-and-forward" basis, to an ophthalmologist trained in DR screening, and graded according to the UK Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. Incidental fundus abnormalities other than DR were reported.

RESULTS

No adverse event to mydriasis was reported. One hundred and eighty eyes (4.66%) were ungradable. Among the 3,679 gradable ones, 1,105 (30.04%) showed different degrees of DR (R1 to R3), and 126 (3.42%) maculopathy (M1). Any Age-Related Macular Degeneration was present in 387 eyes (10.52%), any optic disc and parapapillary area features suspect for glaucoma in 562 eyes (15.27%), any hypertensive retinopathy in 1,263 eyes (34.33%), vitreoretinal interface disease in 252 eyes (6.84%), myopic choroidopathy in 92 eyes (2.50%), disc pallor in 31 eyes (0.84%). Mean time was 5 min for screening, 2 min for grading.

CONCLUSION

Teleretinography is a well-established, cost-effective procedure in DR screening. Along with increased attendance, locating a digital camera in a DC with a retina-specialist grader results in finding fundus pathologies also beyond DR, very similarly to fundus examination in an outpatient ophthalmic setting.

11. Microvascular Complications and Foot Care: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2020

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-SPPC), are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-SINT). Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Comparing diabetic retinopathy lesions in scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and colour fundus photography

PURPOSE

To evaluate the detection of different lesions of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) compared to colour fundus photographs within the same retinal field.

METHODS

Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and colour fundus photographs of 67 eyes taken on the same day of dilated patients with different grades of diabetic retinopathy were retrospectively examined. SLO images were then cropped to match the size and position of its 45-degree colour fundus photograph equivalent. Five independent masked graders assessed the images. Features of DR including haemorrhages, microaneurysms, exudates, cotton wool spots, intraretinal microvascular abnormalities, venous beading and neovascularization were analysed. Additionally, each image was classified according to Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grading and English Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) grading.

RESULTS

There was moderate to good agreement in ETDRS and DESP grading between SLO and colour fundus photographs within individual graders (weighted kappa range 0.45-0.65). The average number of microaneurysms for SLO and colour photographs showed a high degree of agreement (ICC: 0.92). Equally, the average number of blot haemorrhages in SLO and colour images showed strong agreement (ICC: 0.98) and the average number of cotton wool spots in SLO and colour images correlated well (ICC: 0.92). For these three lesions, the intergrader reliability was good (ICC ≥0.66) for both modalities.

CONCLUSION

There was good correlation in detected microaneurysms, blot haemorrhages and cotton wool spots between SLO and colour fundus photographs. However, there was intergrader variability in flame haemorrhage, intraretinal microvascular abnormalities, venous beading and neovascularization grading with both modalities.

Teleophthalmology through handheld mobile devices: a pilot study in rural Nepal

Background

To compare screening referral recommendations made by remotely located ophthalmic technicians with those of an ophthalmologist examining digital photos obtained by a portable ophthalmic camera system powered by an iOS handheld mobile device (iPod Touch).

Methods

Dilated screening eye exams were performed by ophthalmic technicians in four remote districts of Nepal. Anterior and posterior segment photographs captured with a Paxos Scope ophthalmic camera system attached to an iPod Touch 6^th generation device were uploaded to a secure cloud database for review by an ophthalmologist in Kathmandu. The ophthalmic technicians' referral decisions based on slit-lamp exam were compared to the ophthalmologist's recommendation based on the transmitted images.

Results

Using the transmitted images, the ophthalmologist recommended referral for an additional 20% of the 346 total subjects screened who would not have been referred by the ophthalmic technician. Of those subjects, 34% were referred to the retina clinic. Conversely, among the 101 patients referred by the technician, the ophthalmologist concurred with the appropriateness of referral in more than 97% of cases but thought eight (2.8%) of those patients had variants of normal eye pathology.

Conclusion

An ophthalmologist who reviewed data and photos gathered with the mobile device teleophthalmology system identified a significant number of patients whose need for referral was not identified by the screening technician. Posterior segment pathology was most frequently found by the remote reader and not by the technician performing dilated slit lamp examinations. These results are promising for further clinical implementation of handheld mobile devices as tools for teleophthalmic screening in resource-limited settings.

The prevalence and determinants of glaucoma among 40 years and older Saudi residents in the Riyadh Governorate (except the Capital) - A community based survey

Purpose

To evaluate the prevalence of glaucoma and its determinants among adult Saudi Residents aged 40 years and older in the Riyadh Governorate (except the Capital).

Methods

A cluster-based sample of randomly selected citizens from six primary health center catchment areas were examined between 2014 and 2015. Data were collected on their glaucoma management. Assessment included measurement of intraocular pressure, optic nerve head evaluation and gonioscopy. Glaucoma suspects were referred for visual field testing.

Result

A total of 940 citizens were examined and 124 had glaucoma. The prevalence of glaucoma was 5.6% [95% Confidence interval (CI): 5.43–5.75] with an estimated 3758 cases of glaucoma in study area. Males had a significantly higher prevalence (7.62%) than females (3.48%). Glaucoma was not significantly associated to diabetes [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.1; (95% CI: 0.8–1.7); P = 0.5]. The variation in the prevalence of glaucoma by age group was not significant (P = 0.2). Open angle of anterior chamber was in 78% of glaucoma cases. The coverage of glaucoma management was 27.8%. Among known glaucoma patients were 69% were treatment-complaint. Of 124 glaucoma patients, 29 (23.5%) were aware of their diagnosis. Mild and moderate visual impairment was in 67% and 8 (6.5%) glaucoma patients while one (0.8%) patient was bilateral blind.

Conclusion

The prevalence of glaucoma was high. Identified determinants should be noted and accordingly a public health approach for early detection and adequate management is recommended.

Teleophthalmology Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy in Brazil: Applicability and Economic Assessment

Introduction: Early diagnosis and prompt therapy of diabetic retinopathy (DR) are essential to prevent visual loss, but access of the diabetic population to regular fundus examination by an ophthalmologist remains a challenge. Methods: This prospective comparative study, including two referral health centers in the state of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil, assesses applicability and economic viability of fundus photography-based teleophthalmology screening for DR. Results: A total of 2,662 eyes of 1,331 patients were examined at both health centers. Mean age was 57 years, with 836 (62.8%) females. Quality of fundus photographs was acceptable for 2,398 eyes (90.1%). The presence of DR was disclosed in 394 patients (29.6%), with 28 patients (2.1%) presenting evidence of advanced disease (severe nonproliferative or proliferative DR). Economic assessment revealed cost reduction of 28.76 US$ per patient, with a calculated break-even point of 112 exams/month or 1,344 exams/year. Conclusions: For the situation studied under the perspective of public health service, teleophthalmology was viable and cost effective when compared with ordinary ophthalmology examination. In addition, teleophthalmology allowed rapid resolution of repressed demand for fundus examination of diabetic patients locally at the two sites, with early DR diagnoses and referrals. Fundus photography-based teleophthalmology was a viable, effective, and significantly cheaper strategy for the screening of DR.

High-resolution imaging of diabetic retinopathy lesions using an adaptive optics retinal camera

Purpose. Adaptive optics (AO) imaging is a promising high-resolution investigation technique in ophthalmology that can bring new information about the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy. Material and methods. Seven patients previously diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy were investigated with optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning, OCT angiography, fundus photo, and AO retinal camera (rtx1TM, Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). Results. The red lesions on fundus photos appeared on AO imaging as hyporeflective lesions. OCT angiography helped us to differentiate between microaneurysms and hemorrhages. Hard exudates had a heterogeneous granular appearance. Retinal oedema was proved to have a blurring effect on the AO images. In addition to this, cystic spaces were identified to have a hyporeflective demarcation line. Conclusions. AO imaging is offering a fine documentation of retinal lesions and might become an important instrument for early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and for explaining its pathophysiological mechanisms. Abbreviations: AO = adaptive optics, AOO = adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy, SS = swept source, OCT =optical coherence tomography, SLO = scanning laser ophthalmoscope.

11. Microvascular Complications and Foot Care: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2019

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Telemedicine in long-term care of glaucoma patients

Introduction

This manuscript describes data from an original study, simulating a tele-glaucoma programme in an established clinic practice with an interdisciplinary team. This is a ‘real life’ trial of a telemedicine approach to see a follow-up patient. The goal is to evaluate the accuracy of such a programme to detect worsening and/or unstable disease. Such a programme is attractive since in-clinic time could be reduced for both the patient and provider. This study evaluates agreement between in-person and remote assessment of glaucoma progression.

Methods

A total of 200 adult glaucoma patients were enrolled at a single institution. The in-person assessment by an optometrist or glaucoma specialist at time of enrolment was used as the gold standard for defining progression. Collated clinical data were then reviewed by four masked providers who classified glaucoma as progression or non-progression in each eye by comparing data from enrolment visit to data from the visit immediately prior to enrolment. Agreement of glaucoma progression between the masked observer and the in-person assessment was determined using Kappa statistics. Intra-observer agreement was calculated using Kappa to compare in-person to remote assessment when both assessments were performed by the same provider (n = 279 eyes).

Results

A total of 399 eyes in 200 subjects were analysed. Agreement between in-person versus remote assessment for the determination of glaucoma progression was 63%, 62%, 69% and 68% for each reader 1–4 (kappa values = 0.19, 0.20, 0.35 and 0.33, respectively). For intra-observer agreement, reader 1 agreed with their own in-person assessment for 65% of visits (kappa = 0.18).

Discussion

Intra-observer agreement was similar to the agreement for each provider who did not see the patient in person. This similarity suggests that telemedicine may be equally effective at identifying glaucomatous disease progression, regardless of whether the same provider performed both in-clinic and remote assessments. However, fair agreement levels highlight a limitation of using only telemedicine data to determine progression compared with clinical detail available during in-patient assessment.

Robotic Remote Controlled Stereo Slit Lamp

Purpose

Our purpose was to develop a robotic remotely operated stereo slit lamp system allowing three-dimensional stereo viewing and recording of the patient's examination via local area network, Internet, and satellite.

Methods

A commercial slit lamp was modified to accept motors and servos to permit control of all optical and mechanical components of the device. The custom graphical user interface with dual high-resolution real-time stereoscopic imaging, control/position indicators, overview video, and audio were transmitted via local area network, Internet, and satellite. Under University of Miami Institutional Review Board authorization, Internet connectivity enabled multiple examiners to simultaneously view and control the slit lamp and to collaboratively discuss diagnosis and treatment options. The remote clinicians used a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer to view and control the slit lamp.

Results

The network, Internet, satellite-connected system was controllable from the United States, Europe, and Canada while acquiring high-resolution, real-time video in all subjects. Control of the slit lamp through Ethernet, WiFi, and 4G exhibited total system latencies of 464 ± 58, 483 ± 64, and 870 ± 66 milliseconds when transmitting within the continent, and Ethernet control exhibited a latency of 606 ± 130 milliseconds when transmitting between continents. High- and low-magnification images of healthy volunteers were acquired by a remote clinician.

Conclusions

The robotic remotely operated stereo slit lamp system allows three-dimensional stereo viewing and recording of the patient's examination via local area network, Internet, and satellite.

Translational Relevance

The robotic remotely controlled stereo slit lamp system enables remote examination of human subjects.