Using Public Datasets to Identify Priority Areas for Ocular Telehealth

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Telemedicine offers potential to increase access to eye care services.
• Restrictive policies and inadequate reimbursement hinder telemedicine adoption.
• A method to pinpoint priority regions for interventions is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify geographic areas with high visual disability and low eye care provider density.
• To explore the association between visual disability and eye care provider density.
• To inform the strategic implementation of ocular telehealth services.

Main Methods:

• Utilized census data and professional registries to calculate eye care provider density, self-reported visual disability, and demographics.
• Employed fractional regression models to analyze the relationship between visual disability and eye care provider density.
• Compared these findings with state-level telemedicine policy favorability.

Main Results:

• A decrease in visual disability was observed with increased eye care provider density.
• 34% of U.S. counties were identified as having the lowest eye care provider density and highest visual disability.
• A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between eye care provider density and visual disability.

Conclusions:

• Low eye care provider density is linked to increased visual disability, highlighting the potential of ocular telehealth.
• Prioritizing telemedicine implementation in counties with favorable policy environments is recommended.
• Publicly available datasets can efficiently identify regions needing further detailed needs assessments for eye care interventions.