08 Jan Telemedicine Convenient and Cost-Effective For Diabetic Retinopathy Screening

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Shi Lili
Department of Medical informatics and Nantong University Library
Nantong University, Nantong, China

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most frequently occurring complication of diabetes and one of the major causes of acquired blindness in the working-age population around the world. DR can be detected using various methods. Telemedicine based on digital photographs of the fundus is being used with increasing frequency to detect DR, and especially for Diabetic retinopathy screening. The purpose of our study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of telemedicine in the full range of DR and DME severity compared with the current gold standard.

We found that the diagnostic accuracy of telemedicine using digital imaging in DR was overall high. It can be used widely for Diabetic retinopathy screening.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: Telemedicine is convenient and cost-effective compared with the gold standard for Diabetic retinopathy screening. Telemedicine based on digital imaging techniques that incorporate mydriasis and a wide (100°-200°) field is the best choice in absence of Diabetic retinopathy and mild NPDR detection.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Further research should be carried out to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of telemedicine based on each digital imaging technique using a study design. Besides, our retinal image analysis research group will develop a series of algrithms for teleopthalmology.

Citation:

Telemedicine for detecting diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis Lili Shi,
Huiqun Wu, Jiancheng Dong, Kui Jiang, Xiting Lu, Jian Shi

Br J Ophthalmol bjophthalmol-2014-305631Published Online First: 6 January 2015 doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2014-305631

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Last Updated on January 8, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD