title: The Global Education Network for Retinopathy of Prematurity (Gen-Rop): Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of A Novel Tele-Education System (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).
abstract: To describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a tele-education system developed to improve diagnostic competency in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by ophthalmology residents.
  
  
  
  A secure Web-based tele-education system was developed utilizing a repository of over 2,500 unique image sets of ROP. For each image set used in the system, a reference standard ROP diagnosis was established. Performance by ophthalmology residents (postgraduate years 2 to 4) from the United States and Canada in taking the ROP tele-education program was prospectively evaluated. Residents were presented with image-based clinical cases of ROP during a pretest, posttest, and training chapters. Accuracy and reliability of ROP diagnosis (eg, plus disease, zone, stage, category) were determined using sensitivity, specificity, and the kappa statistic calculations of the results from the pretest and posttest.
  
  
  
  Fifty-five ophthalmology residents were provided access to the ROP tele-education program. Thirty-one ophthalmology residents completed the program. When all training levels were analyzed together, a statistically significant increase was observed in sensitivity for the diagnosis of plus disease, zone, stage, category, and aggressive posterior ROP (P<.05). Statistically significant changes in specificity for identification of stage 2 or worse (P=.027) and pre-plus (P=.028) were observed.
  
  
  
  A tele-education system for ROP education is effective in improving diagnostic accuracy of ROP by ophthalmology residents. This system may have utility in the setting of both healthcare and medical education reform by creating a validated method to certify telemedicine providers and educate the next generation of ophthalmologists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: R V Paul
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Samir N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Karyn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ostmo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Alexander D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Port
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Grace I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Andreas K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon., Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000193:education*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017216:Telemedicine; D014481:United States