Speed of Telemedicine vs Ophthalmoscopy for Retinopathy of Prematurity Diagnosis

SUNDROP: six years of screening for retinopathy of prematurity with telemedicine

“…33 If telemedicine technology can indeed be used to supplement ROP screening without compromising the quality of care, then the burdens of infant transportation, physician time, and examination stress may all be greatly alleviated. 14,34 Despite numerous publications in support of telemedicine as a reliable strategy for ROP detection, [35][36][37][38][39] only a handful of studies to date have examined the more realistic scenario of screening without the safety net of simultaneously performed indirect ophthalmoscopy. In 2000, Schwartz et al 40 at UCLA collected wide-angle photographs using the RetCam 120 from 10 infants with relatively severe ROP, from which the images were digitally transmitted to a remote site for evaluation and treatment recommendations.…”

Comparison of profile of retinopathy of prematurity in semiurban/rural and urban NICUs in Karnataka, India

“…Telescreening for severe disease in ROP has already been proved to be effective and efficient 16. In fact, the time required for an ophthalmologist to make a telemedical ROP diagnosis is significantly less than that for an ophthalmoscopic diagnosis 23. With smart amalgamation of information technology and retinal photography by trained technicians we have been able to provide ROP screening facilities to remote areas of Karnataka where no such facility previously existed.…”

Retinopathy of Prematurity

“…However, this is challenging because examination at the NICU bedside is time-consuming and logistically-difficult [6], because documentation of clinical findings is often subjective and qualitative with high levels of inter-observer variability [7-11], and because ROP care is associated with significant medicolegal liability [12]. …”