title: The Sankara Nethralaya mobile teleophthalmology model for comprehensive eye care delivery in rural India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Teleophthalmology holds great potential to overcome barriers and improve quality, access, and affordability in eye care. We introduced mobile units for comprehensive eye care delivery and have successfully conducted eye camps over the past 1.5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we describe the current process and review results of conducting comprehensive eye camps with the aid of teleophthalmology mobile units and determine major causes of avoidable blindness in central and south India. Retrospective chart reviews of all the camps were done as a part of the rural teleophthalmology project of Sankara Nethralaya during the period of April 2009-September 2010. Speciality consultation was achieved by means of teleophthalmology during which images were converted to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard and transferred to the base hospital by a satellite link using a very small aperture terminal at 256-384 kilobits per second with store-and-forward technology as well as real-time videoconferencing when possible. In addition to comprehensive examination, schoolteachers were trained to assess visual acuity, and various public awareness activities were undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the 1.5-year study period, 54,751 patients underwent evaluation at 872 camps across four states in India. Among these, uncorrected refractive error was the commonest cause of avoidable blindness (59%), followed by cataract (30%). Retinal diseases, mainly diabetic retinopathy, contributed 3.3% of avoidable blindness, and corneal diseases accounted for another 1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comprehensive eye camps utilizing a mobile teleophthalmology unit appears to be a very useful tool to improve eye care delivery in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Teleophthalmology, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India. sheilajohn999@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Sabyasachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: Sumanth J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Pearlson
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prabhu
authors.forename: Krishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirubanandan
authors.forename: Sengamedu S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Badrinath
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003376:Counseling; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*