Telemedicine for neuro-ophthalmology: challenges and opportunities

Purpose of review Telemedicine for neuro-ophthalmology (tele-neuro-ophthalmology) has the potential to increase access to neuro-ophthalmic care by improving efficiency and decreasing the need for long-distance travel for patients. Requirements for decreased person-to-person contacts during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption of tele-neuro-ophthalmology. This review highlights the challenges and opportunities with tele-neuro-ophthalmology. Recent findings Tele-neuro-ophthalmology programs can be used for triage, diagnostic consultation, and long-term treatment monitoring. Formats include telephone appointments, interprofessional collaborations, remote data interpretation, online asynchronous patient communication, and video visits. Barriers to long-term implementation of tele-neuro-ophthalmology arise from data quality, patient engagement, workflow integration, state and federal regulations, and reimbursement. General neurologists may collaborate with local eye care providers for ophthalmic examination, imaging, and testing to facilitate efficient and effective tele-neuro-ophthalmology consultation. Summary Tele-neuro-ophthalmology has tremendous potential to improve patient access to high-quality cost-effective neuro-ophthalmic care. However, many factors may impact its long-term sustainability.
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - Category: Neurology Tags: NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY: Edited by Heather E. Moss Source Type: research