Photo Credit: Yaroslav Olieinikov

The following is a summary of “Tele-ophthalmology as an effective triaging tool for acute ophthalmic concerns,” published in the January 2025 issue of Ophthalmology by Townsend et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine baseline demographics and the utilization trend of an on-demand, synchronous tele-ophthalmology triage program for evaluating acute ophthalmic concerns during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.  

They reviewed 6,227 patients with 7,138 telehealth encounters at the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from October 1, 2020, to April 30, 2023. All encounters were included, and primary diagnoses were categorized. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the telemedicine model, utilization trends, patient demographics, and primary diagnoses for all virtual eye care visits. 

The results showed utilization of the synchronous telemedicine platform increased. The median age was 51 years (IQR, 36-65). Most patients identified as female (63.27%), White (72.7%), and non-Hispanic/Latino (48.2%). Many of the visits were for general external adnexa (44.1%), conjunctival disorders (15.5%), and ocular surface symptoms (15.4%), accounting for 75% of visits. Additionally, 63.4% of patients were new to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, 67.1% had no prior telemedicine experience, and 96.5% of encounters were successfully completed via video conferencing.  

Investigators concluded the on-demand synchronous ocular telemedicine program was an effective tool for triaging and providing care during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/ophthalmology/articles/10.3389/fopht.2024.1511378/full#h6