title: A Pilot Study to Improve Access to Eye Care Services for Patients in Rural India by Implementing Community Ophthalmology through Innovative Telehealth Technology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To inform about a very unique and first of its kind telehealth pilot study in India that has provided virtual telehealth consultation to eye care patients in low resource at remote villages.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Provision of Access to eye care services in remote population is always challenging due to pragmatic reasons. Advances in Telehealth technologies have provided an opportunity to improve access to remote population. However, current Telehealth technologies are limited to face-to-face video consultation only. We inform about a pilot study that illustrates real-time imaging access to ophthalmologists. Our innovative software led technology solution allowed screening of patients with varying ocular conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eye camps were conducted in 2 districts in South India over a 12-month period in 2014. Total of 196 eye camps were conducted. Total of 19,634 patients attended the eye camps. Innovative software was used to conduct consultation with the ophthalmologist located in the city hospital. The software enabled virtual visit and allowed instant sharing of fundus camera images for assessment and diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 71% of the patients were found to have Refractive Error problems, 15% of them were found to have cataract, 7% of the patients were diagnosed to have Retina problems and 7% of the patients were found to have other ocular diseases. The patients requiring cataract surgery were immediately transferred to city hospital for treatment. Software led assessment of fundus camera images assisted in identifying retinal eye diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our real-time virtual visit software assisted in specialist care provision and illustrated a novel tele health solution for low resource population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Teleophthalmology, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Department of Teleophthalmology, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Premila
authors.affiliation: Department of Teleophthalmology, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Mohd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Javed
authors.affiliation: Department of Teleophthalmology, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vikas
authors.affiliation: The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Amol
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wagholikar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014600:Utilization Review; D055815:Young Adult