Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37530271›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of ophthalmology2023

A technological approach to "Reaching the Unreached" - Leveraging teleophthalmology services in Rural Gujarat.

Zalak Shah, Uma Shroff, Uday Gajiwala, B R Shamanna

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Indian journal of ophthalmology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Zalak ShahDepartment of General Ophthalmology, Comprehensive Ophthalmology Fellow, Tejas Eye Hospital, Divyajyoti Trust, Mandvi, Surat, Gujarat, India.
Uma ShroffPaediatric Ophthalmology Department, Pediatric Ophthalmologist and Anterior Segment Surgeon, Tejas Eye Hospital, Divyajyoti Trust, Mandvi, Surat, Gujarat, India.
Uday GajiwalaDepartment of Community Ophthalmology, Superintendent, Tejas Eye Hospital, Divyajyoti Trust, Mandvi, Surat, Gujarat, India.
B R ShamannaDepartment of Public health, School of Medical Science, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
University of Hyderabad · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Early detection of sight-threatening disorders by technological applications like teleophthalmology and prompt treatment can help decrease visual impairment. This study evaluated the role of teleophthalmology in underserved rural areas along with cost-saving estimates for the end user. Methods: A prospective, observational, cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted over 3 months. First 1000 teleconsultations were included. None of the patients denied providing informed consent. The patients were consulted at the eight vision centers and three satellite centers of the hospital in the nearby rural and tribal regions closer to their residential places. These vision and satellite centers were connected to the base hospital like a hub and spoke model with a teleophthalmology network. Results: Cataract (n = 301, 30.1%) and refractive error (n = 290, 29%) were the most common diagnosis. 42.1% of patients were referred to base hospital for further evaluation. Thus, a total of 57.9% of patients were not required to visit the base hospital for initial consultation, saving time and money. Furthermore, 15.1% of patients were provided medical treatment at the vision center and satellite center, which helped in making teleophthalmology cost-saving for the patients. An average of Rs. 621/- were saved per patient for the community in our study. Conclusion: Networked teleophthalmology model can be an affordable and feasible tool for providing eye care delivery services in rural and tribal regions of Gujarat and the whole country, especially for the end user. Thus, it may be a workable model in ophthalmology practice with substantial cost saving to the community.

Indexed as

OphthalmologyRemote ConsultationTelemedicineCross-Sectional StudiesHumansProspective StudiesCataractcost-savingrefractive errortele-healthtelemedicineteleophthalmologytribal region of Gujarat

Identifiers

PMID37530271
PMCPMC10538850
OpenAlexW4385466202

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.