What we see defines our perception of the world around us and it’s central to our quality of life – our abilities to function and interact effectively with people, and objects, and perform various tasks are largely dependent on our vision. Unfortunately, we tend to take eye health for granted. That is, until or unless it is threatened. Very often it is too late at this point as eye damage is not always reversible, although it is usually preventable. This highlights the importance of increased awareness and better access to eye healthcare services. According to the WHO, an estimated 2·2 billion people worldwide have some form of visual impairment, but these conditions are preventable or treatable in 50 percent of all cases. The number of Americans living with uncorrectable vision impairment is also expected to rise to nearly 9 million over the next two decades.
The biggest challenges in addressing the burgeoning eye health crisis include poor public awareness, limited accessibility to eye health services, lack of skilled eye health professionals, and poor infrastructure. Digital technology is emerging as the key to overcoming these obstacles, as innovators and health professionals are already using it to create innovative tools that expand access to care while reducing the burden on healthcare providers and limited resources.
how digital tech is transforming eye care – overcoming barriers
Digital health technology has already transformed the way that eye care is delivered and accessed, with millions of people worldwide using online platforms for affordable glasses, prescriptions, medications, financing options, and lots more. However, there are many other ways in which digital technology is reshaping eye healthcare.
Remote Consultations and Diagnosis – Telehealth services have been deployed across various specialties including ophthalmology. This transition was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and today’s online eye health services are more comprehensive and reliable. This is because of digital technology has facilitated not just a variety of patient interactions, but has also led to improvements in diagnostics with home-based tests, such as for visual acuity or visual fields. Some tests that require more expensive hardware can also be administered in primary care centers or remote hubs, instead of forcing patients to visit large centralized ophthalmology clinics in urban centers. Findings from these hubs can then be viewed remotely and asynchronously to establish diagnosis accuracy.
Improved Efficiency and Faster Access to Care – The use of AI and machine learning is already transforming the process of screening, improving efficiency and reducing dependence on scarce resources. This has been demonstrated with the real-life deployment of AI-assisted screening platforms such as the Automated Retinal Disease Assessment (ARDA), which was used for screening more than 200,000 diabetes patients for ocular diseases in India and Thailand. We have also seen the impact of such technology here in the U.S. The non-profit organization Orbis International, New York, created and deployed a similar digital screening program for diabetic retinopathy, enabling immediate grading and same-day review and consultation with a qualified doctor. This translates into greater efficiency and improved access to care for patients.
Reduced Pressure on Specialists – Ophthalmologists and other specialists at specialized clinics are often stretched thin, resulting in long waiting lines and delayed diagnosis and treatment. AI and machine learning are making it possible to automate tasks that would otherwise require the time of skilled clinicians, especially when it comes to diagnosing problems with the help of imaging technology. Today, algorithms trained with deep learning are already showing high levels of accuracy in the diagnosis of common eye diseases such as refractive errors, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and so on.
Digital technology is also directly influencing the way we care for our vision with digital tools, apps, and wearables making eye care much easier. Patient support apps and programs also use digital technology to help patients with treatment adherence, providing reminders, monitoring progress, and scheduling follow-ups. In addition, virtual reality and augmented reality are being explored as effective tools to raise awareness and also for training eye health professionals, enhancing their skills and knowledge. Some of these technologies are still in the early stages of development and the lack of clear regulations and resistance to new technology adoption remain barriers to their widespread use. However, we will begin to see their impact grow significantly as they become more advanced, widely adopted, and supported by a robust regulatory framework.
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