TELEOPTOMETRY: INNOVATIONS AND REVOLUTIONIZATION OF INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE EYE CARE PRACTICE

*Dr Mahesh Chandra, Dr Jitendra Singh, Dr Vaishali Sharma, Imran Ahmad Ansari and Ayush Jha

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ABSTRACT

India is a vast country with a significant part of its population residing in rural areas; therefore it is a challenge for
governments to ensure access to top-tier healthcare services even in the most remote villages. This encompasses
the crucial task of safeguarding the most invaluable assets of Tele-optometry (Telemedicine in Optometry),
intended with telehealth to provide eye care services remotely. It can be used for a variety of services,
including Triage, Screening, Consultation, and Remote supervision. Tele-optometry can be beneficial over the cost
barriers or rely on public transportation and for patients who have mobility challenges. It can also be helpful for
patients who are under quarantine, nervous to travel or have co-morbidities that require social distancing.
Telemedicine in optometry offers synchronous care by connecting the patient and eye care professionals in realtime,
therefore reliable internet access and hardware, such as a phone, tablet, computer, or smartphone inbuilt smart
featured cameras and microphone are needed. By utilizing telemedicine technologies and fostering collaborative
alliances, the optometry sector in India can tackle the country's eye care requirements and realize the objective of
ensuring comprehensive eye health coverage for every individual. As anticipated, Tele-optometry has experienced
significant growth recently with the government's aim to enhance healthcare accessibility for all and address
preventable vision impairments, thus the future of Tele-optometry appears promising.

Keywords: telemedicine, telehealth, teleophthalmology, tele-optometry, eye care professional, low-vision telerehabilitation.