ABSTRACT

Background: Patients presenting to emergency departments for ophthalmic emergencies benefit from prompt evaluation. However, Few emergency departments (EDs) have ophthalmologists on call, and eye care provided in EDs without ophthalmic services can be inaccurate. Methods: We review the current state of ophthalmic telemedical care in EDs and highlight important considerations when implementing telemedicine in this setting. Results: Telemedicine allows ophthalmologists to work with on-site emergency care providers to interview and examine patients remotely in EDs, enabling proper assessment of patient history, visual acuity, pupils, intraocular pressure, as well as the anterior and posterior segment. To date, patients’ perceptions of this new model of care have been largely positive. Discussion: The use of telemedical consultations for remote evaluation of patients with ophthalmic complaints stands to improve the quality of care provided to patients and extend the reach of remote ophthalmologists. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of in-person care further highlights the potential for telemedicine to augment existing models of emergency care.

摘要

背景：因眼科急症而到急诊室就诊的患者受益于及时评估。然而，很少有急诊室 (ED) 有眼科医生随叫随到，在没有眼科服务的 ED 中提供的眼科护理可能不准确。方法：我们回顾了急诊科眼科远程医疗的现状，并强调了在这种情况下实施远程医疗时的重要考虑因素。结果：远程医疗使眼科医生能够与现场急救人员合作，在急诊室远程采访和检查患者，从而能够正确评估患者病史、视力、瞳孔、眼压以及眼前节和后节。迄今为止，患者对这种新的护理模式的看法基本上是积极的。讨论：使用远程医疗会诊对有眼科疾病的患者进行远程评估有助于提高为患者提供的护理质量，并扩大远程眼科医生的服务范围。COVID-19 大流行的爆发和面对面护理的风险进一步凸显了远程医疗增强现有紧急护理模式的潜力。