Researchers from the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center believe telemedicine could help improve eye exam access for diabetics, helping to prevent blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy.
The researchers based their study on current telemedicine diabetic screening programs in England and Wales, where diabetic retinopathy is reportedly no longer the leading cause of blindness in those countries. Researchers asked older adults if they would be willing to participate in such a program, and found patients would use them if the services were convenient. Although only 3 percent of the 97 patients in the study had ever heard of telemedicine, once the concept was explained to them 69 percent said they believed telemedicine would be more convenient then traditional one-on-on exams with a specialist.
Study results were recently published in the journal Telemedicine and e-Health.
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Source: University of Michigan