26Jun2010 1415hrs presented at the COS Annual Meeting in Quebec City by Dr Enitan A. Sogbesan.
A collaborative care model can be used to improve patient access to care in order to reduce preventible blindness. In the discussed model that is in place, there is a University of Alberta Telemedicine hub reading station with spokes that are capture stations in remote areas.
An Optometrist captures the basic history and physical findings along with digital stereo disc photos and other ancillary testing data and loads this information up to U of A site. Standardized data collection forms are used and this study dicusses the early experience using this system.
They calculated cost savings from less travel for patients and factored in the cost of the telemdicine and looked at the accuracy of the diagnoses reached using this system. They found moderate agreement in diagnosis between the referring optometrist and the glaucoma specialist. The total savings 61.23 hrs travel time and $2527 cost for not needing an in person examination as no referral needed.
Conclusion: this University of Alberta telemdicine model saves time in travel time saved and reducing the number of visits to the ophthalmologist.