Abstract
Purpose :
Teleophthalmology decreases barriers to accessing highly specialized care, such as ocular oncology. However, there is a dearth of research into patients’ perceptions of having care delivered through this modality. The purpose of this study is to evaluate patients’ satisfaction with a teleophthalmology program for ocular oncology and whether it addressed their healthcare needs.
Methods :
The teleophthalmology program includes diagnostic imaging, remote physician assessment, and a follow-up phone call from a member of the healthcare team to relay results to patients. Patients who had received care from this program were contacted and asked to participate in this study. Those that agreed were surveyed using an adapted version of the Telehealth Satisfaction Scale (TeSS) and four open-ended questions pertaining to their healthcare needs. The TeSS is scored out 32, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction.
Results :
To-date, 15 of patients were contacted, and 13 agreed to be surveyed (response rate = 87%). On average, participants had received care from the teleophthalmology program 3 to 4 weeks from the time they were surveyed. The median TeSS score was 32 (SD = 1.57), ranging from 28 to 32, indicating high satisfaction with the program. 44% (n = 4) of participants lived in a rural community, where they would otherwise have had to travel between 27 to 110 kilometers to receive specialized ophthalmic care in-person. Overall, patients responded positively to open-ended questions stating the convenience and lack of waiting times was preferred to in-person appointments. Four patients advocated for further use of technology in additional modalities as they appreciated regular communication with their healthcare providers.
Conclusions :
The analysis demonstrates that patients of an ocular oncology clinic are highly satisfied with a teleophthalmology program. The delivery of this kind of specialized care mitigates the access barriers to rural patients while still meeting patients’ needs and perceptions.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.