Validity of a telemedicine system for the evaluation of acute-phase retinopathy of prematurity.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The present strategy to identify infants needing treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requires repeated examinations of at-risk infants by physicians. However, less than 10% ultimately require treatment. Retinal imaging by nonphysicians with remote image interpretation by nonphysicians may provide a more efficient strategy.

Objective

To evaluate the validity of a telemedicine system to identify infants who have sufficiently severe ROP to require evaluation by an ophthalmologist.

Design, setting, and participants

An observational study of premature infants starting at 32 weeks' postmenstrual age was conducted. This study involved 1257 infants with birth weight less than 1251 g in neonatal intensive care units in 13 North American centers enrolled f

SUBMITTER: Quinn GE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4861044 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature