COVID-19 Launches Retinal Telemedicine into the Next Frontier

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Telemedicine in ophthalmology, and specifically in retinal diseases, has made significant advancements in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has launched telehealth into a new era by creating demand from patients and physicians alike, while breaking down previous insurance, reimbursement, access and educational barriers.

Methods:

This paper reviews mulitple studies demonstrating the use of telemedicine in managing various retinal conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion:

Moving forward, promising new devices and models of care ensure that tele-retinal care will continue to expand and become a vital part of how we screen, diagnose and monitor retinal diseases.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• diabetic retinopathy
• retina
• tele-health
• telemedicine

DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflict of interest.