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Teleophthalmology at a primary and tertiary eye care network from India: environmental and economic impact

Eye (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the environmental and economic impact of teleophthalmological services provided by a primary (rural) and tertiary (urban) eyecare network in India.

Methods

This prospective study utilised a random sampling method, and administered an environmental and economic impact assessment questionnaire. The study included 324 (primary: 173; tertiary: 151) patients who received teleconsultations from July to September 2022. The primary network (rural) used a colour-coded triage system (Green: eye conditions managed by teleconsult alone; yellow: semi-urgent referral within 1 week to a month, red: urgent referral within a day to a week). The tertiary network (urban) included new and follow-up patients. The environmental impact was assessed by estimating the potential CO2 emissions saved by avoiding travel for various transport modes. Economic impact measured by the potential cost savings from direct (travel) and indirect (food and wages lost) expenses spent by yellow and red referrals (primary) and the first-visit expenses of follow-up (tertiary) patients.

Results

The primary rural network saved 2.89 kg CO2/person and 80 km/person. The tertiary urban network saved 176.6 kg CO2/person and 1666 km/person. The potential cost savings on travel expenses were INR 19,970 (USD 250) for the primary (average: INR 370 (USD 4.6) per patient) and INR 758,870 (USD 9486) for the tertiary network (average: INR 8339 (USD 104) per patient). Indirect cost savings (food and wages) were of INR 29,100 (USD 364) for the primary and INR 347,800 (USD 4347) for the tertiary network.

Conclusion

Teleophthalmology offers substantial environmental and economic benefits in rural and urban eyecare systems.

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Fig. 1: Teleophthalmology workflow in primary and tertiary eye care.

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Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its Supplementary Information files.

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Funding

Funding

Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, Hyderabad, India.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Teleophthalmology, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

    Padmaja Kumari Rani, Vishal Singh Thakur, Viresh Sharadi, Varghese Iype & Pravin Krishna Vaddavalli

  2. Anant Bajaj Retina Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

    Padmaja Kumari Rani

  3. University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA

    Padmaja Kumari Rani & Rohit C. Khanna

  4. Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Rohit C. Khanna, Sarath Chandra Yeleswarapu, Anand Kumar Panaganti & Varsha M. Rathi

  5. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India

    Rohit C. Khanna

  6. School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Rohit C. Khanna

  7. St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals, NHS Trust, Merseyside, UK

    Ramyadevi Ravindrane

  8. Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Vishal Singh Thakur, Viresh Sharadi, Varghese Iype & Pravin Krishna Vaddavalli

Authors
  1. Padmaja Kumari Rani
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  8. Varghese Iype
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  9. Varsha M. Rathi
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  10. Pravin Krishna Vaddavalli
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Contributions

Study concept and design: PKR, RCK, RR, VMR, and PKV; Study conduct and data acquisition: PKR, SC, AKP, VST, VS, and VI; Data analysis: PKR and RR; Manuscript writing, editing, and review: PKR, RCK, RR, VMR, and PKV.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Padmaja Kumari Rani.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Rani, P.K., Khanna, R.C., Ravindrane, R. et al. Teleophthalmology at a primary and tertiary eye care network from India: environmental and economic impact. Eye (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-02934-4

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