FEASIBILITY OF TELE-OPHTHALMOLOGY FOR SCREENING FOR EYE DISEASE IN REMOTE COMMUNITIES

We assessed the feasibility of tele-ophthalmology in a
remote location, Tungyin, an island 200 km from Taiwan,
which has no ophthalmologist. Screening for eye diseases was
carried out among residents aged 40 years or more. A total
of 113 subjects, approximately 31% of the whole population,
were enrolled in the screening programme. Images were
transmitted (via ADSL) to a retinal specialist in Taiwan for
diagnosis. The average processing time, excluding the time
for copying files, was 6.4 s (SD 2.1) per subject.
Transmission took 60-90s for most of the images (83%). The
average time required to make a diagnosis for each subject,
including data entry, was approximately 34 s (SD 18). In
screening for retinopathy, the detection rate with digital
imaging (8.8%) was two times higher than with indirect
ophthalmoscopy, (4.4%). In 12% of cases macular degeneration
was identified, and in 6% there were mild or moderate
problems with the optic disc. Community-based screening for
four categories of eye disease was successfully demonstrated
using store-and-forward tele-ophthalmology.