Is Retinopathy of Prematurity Diagnosis Faster with Telemedicine?
July 1, 2009
In a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers found that the use of telemedicine could decrease the time commitment for ophthalmologists in the diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
The investigators determined that diagnosing ROP requires a significant time commitment by the examining ophthalmologists. This time commitment was measured both by the amount of time spent by the infant’s bedside and the total time commitment spent per infant. With telemedicine, the time commitment– including interactions with the NICU staff and the infant’s family—was shorter.
Although workflow issues with telemedicine still need to be evaluated, the researchers note that telemedicine’s inclusion may allow for improved use of ophthalmology resources.
Read the abstract and full text version (login required) here in the July issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
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