title: EVALUATION OF A TELEMEDICINE MODEL TO FOLLOW UP PATIENTS WITH EXUDATIVE AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a telemedicine model to follow up patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration and compare the time spent using this model with the time spent conducting office examinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Results of office and telemedicine evaluations were compared to determine whether patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration previously treated with intravitreal injections needed additional treatment. The office examinations included visual acuity measurement, fundus examination, and optical coherence tomography. The telemedicine evaluation included evaluation of retinography images, optical coherence tomography images, and visual acuity data obtained in the office. We also measured the time spent on telemedicine evaluations and compared it with the time spent on office examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one patients were included. A comparison of office and remote diagnostic decisions showed the same results in 181 cases. Among the 20 remaining patients and considering office diagnostic decisions as the gold standard, 17 (8%) patients had false-positive diagnoses and 3 (1%) had false-negative diagnoses. The sensitivity and specificity of the telemedicine evaluations were 96% and 85%, respectively. The average time spent on remote evaluations was 1 minute 21 seconds compared with 10 minutes spent on office examination (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The telemedicine model can be a useful alternative for following up patients with age-related macular degeneration.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; †Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; and ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andonegui
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aliseda
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Aitor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eguzkiza
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arruti
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alcaine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019233:Retreatment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000592:standards*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab