Telemedicine for screening eye disease in the remote Peruvian Amazon: proof-of-concept

Nesemann J.M.; Muñoz M.; Talero S.L.; Honorio-Morales H.A.; Lescano A.G.; Keenan J.D. · Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2022) · DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trab175

Resumen

Background: Improvements in technology could facilitate task-shifting and ocular disease screening in rural areas. Methods: Visual acuity (VA) was tested using a Ministry of Health 3-m VA card. Anterior segment photographs were taken using a three-dimensional printed cellphone attachment and remotely graded. Results: Of 326 photographed eyes, 1 was ungradable. Of 123 eyes with non-refractive visual impairment, cataract was identified in 35.8%, pterygium in 41.5%, corneal opacity in 5.7% and phthisis in 2.4%. Conclusions: While the cause of visual impairment cannot be determined without a posterior segment examination, the smartphone attachment proved to be easy to use by non-specialist workers and identified anterior segment pathology in most cases.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia