Evaluating the Efficacy of Teleophthalmology in Delivering Ophthalmic Care to Underserved Populations: A Literature Review

Abstract

Technological advancement has brought commendable changes in medicine, advancing diagnosis, treatment, and interventions. Telemedicine has been adopted by various subspecialties including ophthalmology. Over the years, teleophthalmology has been implemented in various countries, and continuous progress is being made in this area. In underserved populations, due to socioeconomic factors, there is little or no access to healthcare facilities, and people are at higher risk of eye diseases and vision impairment. Transportation is the major hurdle for these people in obtaining access to eye care in the main hospitals. There is a dire need for accessible eye care for such populations, and teleophthalmology is the ray of hope for providing eye care facilities to underserved people. Numerous studies have reported the advantages of teleophthalmology for rural populations such as being cost-effective, timesaving, reliable, efficient, and satisfactory for patients. Although it is being practiced in urban populations, for rural populations, its benefits amplify. However, there are certain obstacles as well, such as the cost of equipment, lack of steady electricity and internet supply in rural areas, and the attitude of people in certain regions toward acceptance of teleophthalmology. In this review, we have discussed in detail eye health in rural populations, teleophthalmology, and its effectiveness in rural populations of different countries.

Early-Phase Perceptions of COVID-19’s Impact on Ophthalmology Practice Patterns: A Survey from the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

“…The use of telemedicine has demonstrated its cost-effectiveness and reproducibility not only in ophthalmology but also in other medical specialties. 26 This acceptance of virtual care methods reflects a recognition of their potential to optimize healthcare delivery and improve access to medical services, particularly in times of crisis or when physical visits are limited. 26 Despite the acceptance rate, the predominant type of telemedicine reported was limited to telephone calls for consultations or pre-consultations.…”

“… 26 This acceptance of virtual care methods reflects a recognition of their potential to optimize healthcare delivery and improve access to medical services, particularly in times of crisis or when physical visits are limited. 26 Despite the acceptance rate, the predominant type of telemedicine reported was limited to telephone calls for consultations or pre-consultations. On the other side, virtual care tools such as virtual consultations, point-of-care cameras for imaging, virtual waiting rooms, virtual scribes, assisted calls, among others were underutilized.…”

“…The use of this strategy helps not only in a situation of crisis, but it can also aid patients in remote regions. 26 Further strategies and implementation studies are required to scale up telemedicine interventions.…”

Telemedicine in diabetic eye care: A meta-analysis of its effectiveness in underserved populations

“…Several studies have investigated the effectiveness of telemedicine in diabetic eye care, particularly in underserved populations (Aberer et al, 2021;Dolar-Szczasny et al, 2023). Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have consistently shown that telemedicine-based screening programs can improve access to diabetic retinopathy screening and increase the rates of early detection and treatment among underserved populations.…”

Diabetic Retinopathy Detection Using Deep Learning with Optimized Feature Selection

“…It also can lead to inter-observer variability, which can further lead to inconsistency in the diagnosis. Also, retinal screening, especially in rural areas, requires specialized equipment and trained medicos, which is again a challenge [10]. Based on these limitations there can be chances that some early-stage retinopathy cases might be missed by current detection methods.…”