Telemedicine offers new possibilities for glaucoma care

Telemedicine provides a diagnostic accuracy for glaucoma comparable to in-person evaluations by ophthalmologists, making it a potentially valuable tool for improving access to eye care, particularly in underserved or rural areas, according to a study.

A recent cross-sectional study explored how well telemedicine can diagnose glaucoma compared to traditional in-person methods. Researchers evaluated 100 patients (median age 66, 40% male, 62% white) with normal optic nerve imaging or referred for glaucoma assessment. Each patient underwent evaluations by an ophthalmologist (MD) and an optometrist (OD), both in-person, as well as a simulated telemedicine review by 2 ophthalmologists (TMD1 and TMD2).

Diagnostic agreement between methods was assessed using Cohen’s kappa. Results showed moderate agreement between MD and telemedicine reviewers and between MD and OD. Agreement between OD and telemedicine ranged from fair to moderate.

Reference
Balakrishnan P, Swain TA, McGwin G Jr, et al. Comparison of Glaucoma Diagnosis by Telemedicine, In-Person Ophthalmologist, and Optometrist. J Glaucoma. 2024;33(9):619-623. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002456. Epub 2024 Jul 8. PMID: 38976298; PMCID: PMC11365792.