Evaluating imaging repeatability of fully self-service fundus photography within a community-based eye disease screening setting

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the imaging repeatability of self-service fundus photography compared to traditional fundus photography performed by experienced operators. Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods: In a community-based eye diseases screening site, we recruited 65 eyes (65 participants) from the resident population of Shanghai, China. All participants were devoid of cataract or any other conditions that could potentially compromise the quality of fundus imaging. Participants were categorized into fully self-service fundus photography or traditional fundus photography group. Image quantitative analysis software was used to extract clinically relevant indicators from the fundus images. Finally, a statistical analysis was performed to depict the imaging repeatability of fully self-service fundus photography. Results: There was no statistical difference in the absolute differences, or the extents of variation of the indicators between the two groups. The extents of variation of all the measurement indicators, with the exception of the optic cup area, were below 10% in both groups. The Bland–Altman plots and multivariate analysis results were consistent with results mentioned above. Conclusions: The image repeatability of fully self-service fundus photography is comparable to that of traditional fundus photography performed by professionals, demonstrating promise in large-scale eye disease screening programs.