Law and order of modern ophthalmology: Teleophthalmology, smartphones legal and ethics

Abstract

In recent years, new technologies used in the field of ophthalmology have been emerging and developing rapidly. Two major aspects of these advancements are teleophthalmology and smartphones, which have enabled practitioners to achieve optimal outcomes in record time with minimal costs. Several rules and regulations have been applied to these technologies in order to frame them under the appropriate medico-legal ethics, and specialized committees have been dedicated to maintaining their efficacy and avoiding shortcomings. In addition multiple studies and case reports conducted worldwide have assessed them according to specific diseases or global concerns. This review article constitutes an up-to date account of almost all of the applications and medico-legal perspectives of technologies used in ophthalmology in order to summarize and better visualize their advantages and disadvantages.

Enabling teleophthalmology during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Province of Trento, Italy: Design and implementation of a mHealth solution

“…Smartphone applications are an interesting tool in the teleophthalmology scenario, nevertheless how they could be used in the clinical practice is an open question [57]. Should the ophthalmology applications be certified as medical devices in order to be extensively used in the clinical practice?…”

Potential advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine: A literature review from the perspectives of patients, medical personnel, and hospitals

“…This approach helps the patients to receive appropriate treatment and referral to specialists when needed. 19…”

“…The use of the technology also enables better communication between the healthcare providers and the patients, hence, increasing patients' compliance. 19 Telecytopathology enables the pathologists to assess the fine needle aspiration (FNA) remotely and to avoid commuting to multiple locations for the procedures. Through experiments in the Acibadem Health Group, it was found that various forms of cytology can be examined at no unnecessary expenses, creating national and international levels of consultation between specialists with results that can be compared with routine cytology in other centers.…”

“…There are also privacy issues regarding the accumulated data. 19 Using SMS or applications as a reminder can also cause usage fatigue, where the patients may stop responding to the interface or worse, stop using it at all. 23 Compared to face-to-face consultations, telemedicine has increased risks related to privacy and security.…”

Retrospective study on the incidence of pseudoexfoliatio lentis and related complications in a cohort of patients from the Island of Ischia: medico-legal and ergophthalmology considerations

“…Most of the cataract cases that came to our observation and were operated on, were nuclear or corticonuclear and many presented as clinically evolved and severe, brownish and/ or total white. Patients not originating from the island of Ischia were excluded from the study [1][2][3][4][5]. In addition, a simultaneous diagnosis of surgically relevant cataract in a very advanced stage (Fig.…”