Telemedicine characteristics using WhatsApp™ in ophthalmology

Telemedicine allows for shorter diagnostic times and is cost-effective. One of the most widely used instant messaging applications in our field is WhatsApp™. We analyze the use of this application in our specialty, to determine whether it is useful for everyday use in our clinical practice.

All teleconsultations from 2024 carried out through this application to the same mobile phone were collected. The origin, the reason for consultation and the most frequent diagnoses, as well as the characteristics of the applicants, were analyzed.

Of the 206 teleconsultations, 65% became from the patient himself. The average age of the applicants was 42.66, with 38% being men. 81% were seeking a diagnosis, whose most frequent pathologies were conjunctivitis and ametropias. WhatsApp™ allows for fast and effective communication, although they are young patients due to a probable digital divide. In our experience, it has allowed us to avoid face-to-face consultations (77%) and, more importantly, to bring forward some potentially serious ones quickly.

It is a cost-effective, fast tool that adds advantages to our daily clinical practice.