Teleretinal screening for diabetic retinopathy in six Los Angeles urban safety-net clinics: initial findings.

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in US adults. This paper presents initial results of a teleretinal screening project for diabetic retinopathy involving six Los Angeles safety net clinics. A total of 1,943 patients have been screened for diabetic retinopathy by three ophthalmologist readers, with 416 receiving a recommendation for referral to specialty care.

Workflow concerns and workarounds of readers in an urban safety net teleretinal screening study.

Telemedicine holds great promise for increased access to specialty care services for safety net clinic patients. However, the adoption of these technologies is not a seamless transition for clinicians working in resource-poor settings. Previous research has analyzed workflow issues that arise in primary care settings when adopting telehealth tools but has not examined the unique workflow challenges facing specialists who provide assessments to safety net clinics.