Is Telemedicine in Primary Care a Good Option for Polish Patients with Visual Impairments Outside of a Pandemic?

Abstract

With the proliferation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, attention began to turn to the risk of health disparities associated with its use among people with disabilities. Therefore, the present study investigates the level of interest in using teleconsultations (TCs) in primary healthcare among people with visual impairments (PVIs) and identifies their motivations and needs. A total of 219 Polish PVIs were surveyed using a combination of closed and open questions. About 50% of the respondents expressed interest in using TCs. The factor most closely related to the willingness to use TCs was age. The predominant reason for using TCs was to obtain a prescription or referral, and the most highlighted need was the possibility to choose between a TC and an in-person visit. The blind and poor-sighted participants differed in some regards. Our study indicates that TCs, under some conditions, may be a beneficial option for PVIs, and provides some directions for its effective implementation.

Bibliometric review of telemedicine interface design for accessibility of monitoring current condition in healthcare services

“…The 1688 papers considered in this analysis cover the topics shown in Figure 3 in more detail. Health professions (147), computer science (124), engineering (102), nursing (62), and social science are the most popular subjects (33). In the study, as indicated in Table 2, the three topic areas (medicine, health professions, and computer sciences) similarly had high citation rates.…”

Outcomes of Telerehabilitation Versus In-Office Training With Magnification Devices for Low Vision: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Using telerehabilitation to conduct follow-ups for newly prescribed magnifiers or other reading aids can offer another viable means for rendering vision rehabilitation services via an approach that is more convenient, safe, and resource efficient, in order to improve access to care. 6 The current findings can be used to justify and design a larger-scale noninferiority trial to determine if telerehabilitation is at least as effective as in-office usual care and that the two approaches do not result in different outcomes. This would be critical information for providers to reassure patients that either modality is acceptable.…”

“…Telerehabilitation using videoconferencing to remotely evaluate and provide visual aid training to patients with low vision at home is feasible 1 , 2 and can overcome several barriers to care 3 – 6 ; however, it is not yet widely implemented in clinical practice. There is a lack of a rigorous evidence basis for telerehabilitation involving magnification device training for low vision; randomized controlled trials have not yet been conducted.…”

“To Be Treated as a Person and Not as a Disease Entity”—Expectations of People with Visual Impairments towards Primary Healthcare: Results of the Mixed-Method Survey in Poland

“…All mentioned needs have been described several times before [ 13 , 39 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 ]. However, they still need consideration because of existing barriers and changes regarding, inter alia, developing telemedicine [ 69 , 70 ].…”