Diabetic eye disease (retinopathy), a leading cause of blindness among adults, can be prevented with regular eye examinations by a retinal specialist, according to the February 2006 issue of Telemedicine and e-Health. The use of digital technology and the transfer of exam results over a telecommunications network can allow trained technicians to perform these sight-saving exams in a primary care setting, overcoming the critical problem of lack of access to an eye specialist.
In the paper entitled, "A Web-based Telemedicine System for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Using Digital Fundus Photography," authors Jack Wei, Daniel Valentino, Douglas Bell, and Richard Baker, from the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, in Los Angeles, CA, describe the transmission of 1500 images from eye exams performed on more than 650 patients at a primary care health clinic to the Department of Ophthalmology at a major university medical center. This technology has the potential to improve access to specialty eye care for patients with diabetes in rural and underserved urban areas.
Digital imaging and telemedicine technology have created a significant opportunity to enhance access to diabetic retinopathy screening and to enable the identification of patients with early-stage disease for whom available treatments could prevent loss of sight.
"The integration of telemedicine and the use of the web in the management of diabetic retinopathy is becoming a valuable tool for clinicians and patients alike. As in all applications of telemedicine, the elimination of distance as a barrier is a significant alternative to in-person examinations," says Charles Doarn, MBA, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Associate Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, and Executive Director, Center for Surgical Innovation at the University of Cincinnati (Ohio).
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