Telemedicine in Ophthalmology: Lessons from the COVID-19 Era and Beyond

Abstract

The progress of information and communication technologies in the era of COVID-19 created an unprecedented opportunity for medicine to adapt to new models of care. Telemedicine and telehealth have enabled medical care at a distance in various fields, including ophthalmology. The aim of this article is to review the current state and the opportunities for telemedicine in ophthalmology. Materials and methods: PubMed, ScienceDirect Database, Google Scholar databases, as well as official sites of various governmental and non-governmental institutions were explored. The search was conducted between May 1, 2022 and July 31, 2022 using as key words "teleophthalmology"; "telemedicine/telehealth and ophthalmology"; "ophthalmology and COVID-19". Results: 87 primary sources were reviewed. An exploratory analysis of the current state and application of telemedicine in ophthalmology was made. Conclusion: A great number of innovations have created an environment allowing for teleophthalmology to flourish, whereas the COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated the development and adoption of these digital technologies. Telemedicine has become an extremely valuable tool during a pandemic, and even if it would never fully replace in the person-to-person patient visits, it certainly has an important role in our dynamic and high-tech world.