Tele-ophthalmology and conventional ophthalmology using a mobile medical unit in remote Greece

J Telemed Telecare. 2003;9(5):296-9. doi: 10.1258/135763303769211337.

Abstract

We evaluated the quality of medical services delivered to remote glaucoma patients from a mobile unit. A four-wheel-drive vehicle containing the necessary equipment visited five different remote locations in Greece. During a three-year prospective study, 1205 patients were examined, of whom 230 had glaucoma. The majority of the subjects were examined by the unit's medical staff using the available instrumentation (e.g. slit-lamp and tonometer), while 56 glaucoma subjects were telemedically examined by consultants at the Patissia General Hospital, in Athens. Control data were obtained from a random sample of 260 urban glaucoma patients. A significantly greater proportion of the remote patients had an inadequate awareness of glaucoma (77%) compared with the urban patients (20%). Significantly more remote patients had poorer compliance (68%) in comparison with urban patients (23%). A significantly larger proportion of the remote patients had high intra-ocular pressure (21%) compared with the urban patients (5%). Technical difficulties occurred in the 13 of the 56 telemedical examinations. Mobile medical units can enhance access to medical services and contribute to the health-care of under-served populations.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Glaucoma / therapy*
  • Greece
  • Humans
  • Intraocular Pressure / physiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mobile Health Units*
  • Patient Compliance / psychology
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Rural Health Services / organization & administration
  • Telemedicine / methods*