Design of a tele-ophthalmology system for comprehensive eye examination and DR screening and its preliminary implementation

Abstract

We have developed a prototype version of telemedicine system, which combines web-based application, tablet app and digital retinal imaging, for comprehensive eye examination and diabetic retinopathy screening. Patient treatment and follow-up examination are implemented in the system. In the paper, we introduced the design of system architecture and main workflows and their preliminary implementations. The system provided a new service model through one grading center linking with multiple remote hospitals for eye care in Guangdong province, China. The early stage of the project practice and study also undertook the responsibility of educations for remote-area doctors and image graders for DR diagnosis and image grading. The project has successfully demonstrated the telemedicine system and associated workflows can be used for providing DR screening and eye disease diagnostic services in remote and rural hospitals in China.