Virtual Visits in Ophthalmology decrease patient costs, increase satisfaction, and allow ophthalmologists to care for patients efficiently. Ophthalmologic conditions that can be screened, diagnosed, and sometimes treated virtually include: dry eye syndrome, subconjunctival hemorrhage, blepharitis, chalazia, mild cases of allergic conjunctivitis, certain types of corneal abrasions, and early stages of diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration—where detailed imaging and monitoring through telemedicine allow for assessment and management.
“Our experience shows that much can be gleaned to facilitate medical decision-making and counselling.”
Often, virtual care requires follow-up in-person visits for more complex cases or treatment decisions.
Our experience in Virtual Visits has been primarily in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus clinics, but we believe our breadth of practice translates well to other subspecialties.
Table 3 presents a list of suggestions that is certain to expand as the field of ocular telemedicine continues to innovate. In some cases, a hybrid model may be used, where testing is performed in the office and history taking and review of results are conducted virtually.
Suggested Scenarios Across Ophthalmology Where Virtual Visits May Be Utilized
