Feasibility Study on the Implementation of Teleophthalmology in the Medical Treatment Facilities in the Great Plains Regional Medical Command

摘要

With the ever increasing costs of health care today finding, testing, and, if found workable, utilizing a new technology is an absolute must. Teleophthalmology is just such a technology. This service will greatly benefit the present and growing diabetic population. One of the major complications of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which eventually causes blindness. The effects of diabetic retinopathy can be limited if early and effective treatment is provided. The key to early intervention is an annual eye exam. The compliance rate for annual eye exams for Great Plains Regional Medical Command is less than the 90% required to meet HEDIS as well as our own Clinical Practice Guideline metric. Teleophthalmology is a way to meet the needs of the patient for an eye exam without a second visit to the hospital. Utilizing a digital ophthalmic camera allows the patient's pupils to be dilated, the films obtained and sent for review by an ophthalmologist during their routine primary care visit. This decreases the hassle factor for the patient, it frees up ophthalmology clinic visits held for routine diabetic eye exams, and best utilizes the limited number of ophthalmology providers available in the region.