ArticleArquivos brasileiros de oftalmologia2024
Transition from an in-person to a telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening program.
Article in Arquivos brasileiros de oftalmologia, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Teleophthalmology in Low-Resource Settings: A Systematic Review.Cureus · 2024Review
- Reaching the unreached: Task-shifting diabetic retinopathy screening in urban slums of low- and middle-income countries.Oman journal of ophthalmologyReview
- Evaluating remote healthcare practices: Experiences and recommendations of healthcare professionals on smart applications.Digital healthArticle
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
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Abstract
purposeTimely screening and treatment are essential for preventing diabetic retinopathy blindness. Improving screening workflows can reduce waiting times for specialist evaluation and thus enhance patient outcomes. This study assessed different screening approaches in a Brazilian public healthcare setting.
methodsThis retrospective study evaluated a telemedicine-based diabetic retinopathy screening implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared it with in-person strategies. The evaluation was conducted from the perspective of a specialized referral center in an urban area of Central-West Brazil. In the telemedicine approach, a trained technician would capture retinal images by using a handheld camera. These images were sent to specialists for remote evaluation. Patient variables, including age, gender, duration of diabetes diagnosis, diabetes treatment, comorbidities, and waiting time, were analyzed and compared.
resultsIn total, 437 patients with diabetes mellitus were included in the study (mean age: 62.5 ± 11.0 years, female: 61.7%, mean diabetes duration: 15.3 ± 9.7 years, insulin users: 67.8%). In the in-person assessment group, the average waiting time between primary care referral and specialist evaluation was 292.3 ± 213.9 days, and the referral rate was 73.29%. In the telemedicine group, the average waiting time was 158.8 ± 192.4 days, and the referral rate was 29.38%. The telemedicine approach significantly reduced the waiting time (p<0.001) and significantly lowered the referral rate (p<0.001).
conclusionThe telemedicine approach significantly reduced the waiting time for specialist evaluation in a real-world setting. Employing portable retinal cameras may address the burden of diabetic retinopathy, especially in resource-limited settings.
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