ArticlesTelemedicine and Ophthalmology
Section snippets
History of Telemedicine
Telemedicine is based on networking, a term applicable to groups of computers or groups of people. One of the first modern telemedicine applications was a 1959 two-way television link between the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute in Omaha and the Norfolk State Hospital. Remote mental health consultations were conducted over a distance of 100 miles.73 The first use of teleradiology, perhaps the most refined telemedicine application in use today, occurred the same year.35, 42 Faced with the prospect
Teleophthalmology
Like radiology, pathology, and dermatology, ophthalmology is a visually intensive specialty. Ophthalmologists are trained to interpret images. Like radiologists, who commonly diagnose from radiography films, ophthalmologists are accustomed to diagnosing disease asynchronously from two-dimensional black-and-white imagery or angiograms. Store-and-forward teleophthalmology systems are well suited to sending photographs to specialists for review. Dermatologists, otolaryngologists, and
Summary
Telemedicine, in a recent report to Congress by the US Departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services,
“… holds great potential, especially in rural areas, to greatly improve the quality, access and affordability of health care. It can reduce need for travel in rural areas and provide needed backup and access to specialists for primary care health professionals in these underserved areas.”19
Teleophthalmology is in an experimental phase. The eye's small size and the high degree of training
Method of Literature Search
A search of MEDLINE for articles between 1967 and 1998 yielded little information on teleophthalmology. References are drawn from a variety of sources, including published articles, nonrefereed reports, the Telemedicine Information Exchange Web site, other Internet documents, published conference reports, and personal contacts. Teleophthalmology-related activities described in this article do not include unpublished reports.
Acknowledgements
There are no proprietary relationships of the author or members of her family with any company or product mentioned in the article. Supported in part by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York.
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