Telemedicine Applications in Pediatric Retinal Disease

A MULTICENTER STUDY OF RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY FOLLOW-UP ADHERENCE

PURPOSE

Characterize clinical and socioeconomic factors that impact follow-up to complete retinal vascularization and subsequent pediatric ophthalmology follow-up in neonates with retinopathy of prematurity.

METHODS

Medical records of 402 neonates diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity from neonatal intensive care units at the University of California, Los Angeles Mattel Children's Hospital and the University of California, Los Angeles Santa Monica Hospital, both academic medical centers, and the Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, a safety-net county hospital, were reviewed. Primary study outcomes were the rate of follow-up to complete retinal vascularization and adequate pediatric ophthalmology follow-up. Secondary outcome was the rate of nonretinal ocular comorbidity.

RESULTS

In whole-cohort analysis, 93.6% of neonates were followed to complete retinal vascularization, and 53.5% had adequate pediatric ophthalmology follow-up. Public insurance was associated with lower rates of pediatric ophthalmology follow-up (Odds ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.98, P = 0.04). Participants screened at the academic medical center had lower rates of pediatric ophthalmology follow-up compared with the safety-net county hospital (50.7% vs. 63.5%, P = 0.034). In subgroup analysis, academic medical center participants with public insurance were less likely to have pediatric ophthalmology follow-up than safety-net county hospital participants with public insurance (36.5% vs. 63.8%, P < 0.001) or those with private insurance at the academic medical center (36.5% vs. 59.2%, P< 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study identified high follow-up rates to complete retinal vascularization, lower pediatric ophthalmology follow-up rates, and nonretinal ocular comorbidity at all hospitals. Insurance status relative to hospital type was identified as a risk factor for loss to follow-up. This demonstrates a need to further study health care disparities in retinopathy of prematurity infants.

Descriptive study of a telemedicine program in palpebral pathology for primary care (tele-eyelid)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In 2013 we implemented an asynchronous telemedicine circuit for the diagnosis of eyelid diseases (tele-eyelid), connecting the outpatient primary healthcare with the hospital's specialists. The purpose of this study is to assess the use of telemedicine in the diagnosis of eyelid diseases by primary care teams, to evaluate its usefulness and to analyse the epidemiology of the pathological conditions referred to the tertiary level hospital, as well as the need for surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was carried out in the Spanish public health system, in a mainly rural area assisted by the Institut Català de la Salut (ICS) and Althaia Xarxa Assistencial Universitària de Manresa. This is a retrospective, descriptive analysis of the telematic consultations undertaken between 2013 and 2019. The consultations between 2018 and 2019 underwent a further descriptive retrospective-prospective analysis to assess the conditions referred to the hospital.

RESULTS

Unnecessary referrals were avoided in 72% of telematic consultations. More than 50% of primary care practitioners used tele-eyelid. Up to 68% of the referrals were due to eyelid tumours, 50% needed surgery and 18%, a biopsy. Moreover, we found a high reliability between telematic and face-to-face diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Teleophthalmology applied to eyelid pathology is a useful tool to improve access to specialized care and helps solving pathological conditions. It avoids unnecessary consultations and increases efficiency, both in primary and hospital care.

Teleophthalmology and Artificial Intelligence As Game Changers in Ophthalmic Care After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic has boosted a sudden demand for telemedicine due to quarantine and travel restrictions. The exponential increase in the use of telemedicine is expected to affect ophthalmology drastically. The aim of this review is to discuss the utility, effectiveness and challenges of teleophthalmological new tools for eyecare delivery as well as its implementation and possible facilitation with artificial intelligence. We used the terms: “teleophthalmology,” “telemedicine and COVID-19,” “retinal diseases and telemedicine,” “virtual ophthalmology,” “cost effectiveness of teleophthalmology,” “pediatric teleophthalmology,” “Artificial intelligence and ophthalmology,” “Glaucoma and teleophthalmology” and “teleophthalmology limitations” in the database of PubMed and selected the articles being published in the course of 2015-2020. After the initial search, 321 articles returned as relevant. A meticulous screening followed and eventually 103 published manuscripts were included and used as our references. Emerging in the market, teleophthalmology is showing great potential for the future of ophthalmological care, benefiting both patients and ophthalmologists in times of pandemics. The spectrum of eye diseases that could benefit from teleophthalmology is wide, including mostly retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration but also glaucoma and anterior segment conditions. Simultaneously, artificial intelligence provides ways of implementing teleophthalmology easier and with better outcomes, contributing as significant changing factors for ophthalmology practice after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telemedicine in ophthalmology in view of the emerging COVID-19 outbreak

Purpose

Technological advances in recent years have resulted in the development and implementation of various modalities and techniques enabling medical professionals to remotely diagnose and treat numerous medical conditions in diverse medical fields, including ophthalmology. Patients who require prolonged isolation until recovery, such as those who suffer from COVID-19, present multiple therapeutic dilemmas to their caregivers. Therefore, utilizing remote care in the daily workflow would be a valuable tool for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic ocular conditions in this challenging clinical setting. Our aim is to review the latest technological and methodical advances in teleophthalmology and highlight their implementation in screening and managing various ocular conditions. We present them as well as potential diagnostic and treatment applications in view of the recent SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak.

Methods

A computerized search from January 2017 up to March 2020 of the online electronic database PubMed was performed, using the following search strings: “telemedicine,” “telehealth,” and “ophthalmology.” More generalized complementary contemporary research data regarding the COVID-19 pandemic was also obtained from the PubMed database.

Results

A total of 312 records, including COVID-19-focused studies, were initially identified. After exclusion of non-relevant, non-English, and duplicate studies, a total of 138 records were found eligible. Ninety records were included in the final qualitative analysis.

Conclusion

Teleophthalmology is an effective screening and management tool for a range of adult and pediatric acute and chronic ocular conditions. It is mostly utilized in screening of retinal conditions such as retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration; in diagnosing anterior segment condition; and in managing glaucoma. With improvements in image processing, and better integration of the patient’s medical record, teleophthalmology should become a more accepted modality, all the more so in circumstances where social distancing is inflicted upon us.

Effectiveness and efficiency of tele-expertise for improving access to retinopathy screening among 351 neonates in a secondary care center: An observational, controlled before-after study

In France, secondary care hospitals encounter difficulties to adhere to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening guidelines. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness and efficacy of a tele-expertise program for ROP screening in neonatal intensive care units without on-site ophthalmologists. We evaluated the impact of a tele-expertise program funded by the Paris Region Health Authority in a secondary care center general hospital of the Paris Region (CHSF), where there was previously no on-site ophthalmologist. We performed an observational, controlled before-after study, with a university tertiary care center with on-site ophthalmologists (Port-Royal) as the control group. Recruitment and data collection for both periods took place from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 31 2012, and from 1 January 2014 to 31 March 2015. The primary endpoint was the percentage of compliance with screening guidelines, secondary endpoints included pain scores and costs. Over the two periods, at total of 351 infants were recruited in the CHSF. Implementation of the tele-expertise resulted in an absolute +57.3% increase in the proportion of examinations realized in accordance with guidelines (3.8% during the "before" period and 61.1% during the "after" period, p<0.001). As compared with the control group, the proportion of infants appropriately screened improved (57.5% versus 43.1%, p = 0.002); median pain score on the acute pain rating scale for neonates during examination was significantly higher (median score 5.5/10, range [2.5-5.7] versus 2.0/10, range [1.0-3.1], p = 0.002). Screening rates in the control group remained unchanged. The average cost per examination increased from €337 in the "before" period to €353 in the "after period" in the tele-expertise group. The implementation of tele-expertise for ROP screening in the CHSF medical center resulted in a major improvement of access to care with a small cost increase. The issue of pain control during examination with tele-expertise should be further addressed.