title: Feasibility of tele-ophthalmology for screening for eye disease in remote communities.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health and Institute of Health Informatics and Decision Making, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Yao
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Tzeng-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tao-Hsin
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Yueh-Hsia
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chang-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Der-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Tony Hsiu-Hsi
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: 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*