Feasibility of tele-ophthalmology for screening for eye disease in remote communities.
We assessed the feasibility of tele-ophthalmology in a remote location, Tungyin, an island 200 km from Taiwan, which has no ophthalmologist. Screening for eye diseases was carried out among residents aged 40 years or more. A total of 113 subjects, approximately 31% of the whole population, were enrolled in the screening programme. Images were transmitted (via ADSL) to a retinal specialist in Taiwan for diagnosis. The average processing time, excluding the time for copying files, was 6.4 s (SD 2.1) per subject. Transmission took 60-90 s for most of the images (83%). The average time required to make a diagnosis for each subject, including data entry, was approximately 34 s (SD 18). In screening for retinopathy, the detection rate with digital imaging (8.8%) was two times higher than with indirect ophthalmoscopy (4.4%). In 12% of cases macular degeneration was identified, and in 6% there were mild or moderate problems with the optic disc. Community-based screening for four categories of eye disease was successfully demonstrated using store-and-forward tele-ophthalmology.
Chen
Li-Sheng
LS
Institute of Public Health and Institute of Health Informatics and Decision Making, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tsai
Ching-Yao
CY
Liu
Tzeng-Ying
TY
Tung
Tao-Hsin
TH
Chiu
Yueh-Hsia
YH
Chan
Chang-Chuan
CC
Liou
Der-Ming
DM
Chen
Tony Hsiu-Hsi
TH
D000328:Adult; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013997:Time Factors; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000379:methods*