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Telemedicine may reduce barrier to access for ROP treatment
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WAILEA, Hawaii — Treatment of retinopathy of prematurity in pediatric patients is 99% successful, a speaker said here, assuming the children can be properly diagnosed and treated in time.
Proper use of telemedicine and a software safety net to manage the data help ensure that treatment is delivered when and where it is needed, Antonio Capone, MD, FACS, said at Retina 2012.
"In the future, we will employ remote digital image interpretation to ensure a proper level of ROP care," Dr. Capone said.
A key aspect to the use of telemedicine is the software necessary to track the data, Dr. Capone said.
Such a tool must be able to remotely acquire digital images, provide a platform for interpretation of fundus findings, include an algorithm for evidence-based disease management, include access to expertise, and provide a summary report and recommendations that can be tied into electronic health records that will follow the patient, he said.
Such a system, already in use by Dr. Capone, allows for better tracking of opinions and symptoms, while also dealing with a more practical problem related to use of time that historically has hampered ROP treatment, he noted.
Methods other than telemedicine are a "financially inefficient way to spend your time," Dr. Capone said.
- Disclosure: Dr. Capone is a patent holder with Focus Corp., a consultant with Allergan, a member of Synergetics' speakers bureau and does contracted researcher for Allergan, Acucela and GSK.
Hawaiian Eye and Retina 2013 will be held January 20-25, 2013, at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii's Big Island. Learn more at OSNHawaiianEye.com or RetinaMeeting.com.