A technician performs an OCT scan on a
patient to detect signs of diabetic retinopathy.
Credit: Moorfields Eye Hospital
ARLINGTON, Va.—The ATA (American Telemedicine Association) announced it is seeking public comment on the new edition of its Ocular Telehealth-Diabetic Retinopathy Practice Guidelines. This third edition reflects new evidence, emerging technologies and the expanded scope of ocular telehealth, the ATA said in a statement. The ATA guidelines describe evidence-based best practices for ocular telehealth, and are based on the accumulated knowledge and experience of eyecare and telemedicine professionals, ATA special interest work groups, and other stakeholders.

Telehealth programs for diabetic retinopathy (DR) have been shown to be efficacious, cost-effective and scalable means to prevent diabetes related vision loss, according to the ATA. The organization believes that these guidelines will help to increase access to personalized, quality, efficient and cost-effective remote evaluation, diagnosis and management of DR, and facilitate integration of diabetes eyecare with primary and specialty medical care.

The guidelines include recommendations for designing, implementing, and sustaining an ocular telehealth care program and highlights current clinical, technical and administrative issues that form the basis for evaluating DR with telehealth services and technologies.

"The development and implementation of ocular telehealth programs is needed to address the debilitating and costly complications of diabetic retinopathy, the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults in the U.S. and in many other countries," said Yao Liu, MD, MS, assistant professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and chair, ATA Ocular Telehealth Special Interest Group (SIG).

"The purpose of these ocular telehealth guidelines is to help advance the science and assure uniform quality patient care that is consistent with evidence-based recommendations for diabetic eyecare," added April Maa, MD, associate professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, and vice chair of the ATA Ocular Telehealth SIG.

The ATA seeks public comments by July 19, 2019. Learn more, comment or download the guidelines here.