ArticleOphthalmology2025
National Experience of Technology-based Eye Care Services: A Comprehensive Ophthalmology Telemedicine Initiative.
Article in Ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Artificial intelligence technology in ophthalmology public health: current applications and future directions.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeTechnology-based Eye Care Services (TECS) is a tele-ophthalmology program operating in the Veterans' Health Administration since 2015. This study explores characteristics of the national TECS population, evaluates implementation and sustainability of TECS, and analyzes possible associations and effects of demographic characteristics and social determinants of health on being diagnosed with a vision-threatening (VT) disease.
designImplementation and sustainability of TECS from 2015 to 2022 were examined along with the sociodemographic characteristics of veterans served through TECS in 2021.
participantsVeteran patients seen in TECS nationwide.
main outcome measuresCharacteristics, disease prevalence and diagnoses, implementation success rate, sustainability rate, and preliminary analysis of outcomes and disparity.
methodsPer quarter from 2015 to 2022, TECS sites were classified as implementing, active, or sustained. Standard query language was used to determine sociodemographic data, and logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors associated with VT eye diagnosis.
resultsA total of 21 712 Veterans, 52.1% rural or highly rural, were served by TECS in 2021. The average age was 64.7 years, with women comprising 10.9% of the population served. From 2015 to 2022, of the 67 TECS sites initiated, 6 were implementing with 51 of 61 initiated sites still operational in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022 (83.6% success rate). Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts were more prevalent in rural and highly rural populations (7.6% and 11.3%, and 48.8% and 55.0%, respectively) versus urban populations (5.8% and 47.8%); glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy (DR) had the opposite association. The prevalence of any type of VT eye disease was lowest in the Mountains/Central region (0.54%) and highest in the Southeast region (3.2%) of the United States. Rural and highly rural residents were 1.3 and 2.5 times as likely, respectively, to be diagnosed with a VT eye disease than urban residents.
conclusionsImplementation and sustainability of TECS have been promising. The data provide key information that can be used to improve the deployment of TECS and similar programs, along with the possible future direction of TECS. Moreover, experience from one national ocular telehealth program clearly illustrates that telemedicine can address eye care disparities in the Veteran population and may be used for other vulnerable groups as well. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.