Desafios na implementação do atendimento médico oftalmológico remoto

Abstract

The development of new technologies aimed at medical care has gained prominence in recent decades, with their use directed mainly towards diagnostic elucidation, reduction of geographic and social barriers, in addition to providing more accurate treatments in various medical specialties, including ophthalmology. The use of these innovations, especially remote medical care, has intensified in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult – and in many cases impossible – to provide face-to-face medical care. In ophthalmology, the implementation of remote medical care (teleophthalmology), however, brought with it important challenges, and this review proposes to present the main difficulties reported in the world scientific literature. To this end, a bibliographical research was carried out in the EMBASE, MEDLINE and LILACS databases, using the appropriate descriptors, with the selection of articles published between the years 2018 and 2022. From the 338 studies initially found, 26 were chosen to compose this work based on pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. The information found in the current literature shows that the main barriers to the full implementation of teleophthalmology are: the difficulties in handling new technologies - especially for the elderly population, socioeconomic differences in access to equipment, in addition to limitations of the machinery, which, in many cases, do not are sufficiently accurate for diagnostic elucidation and management of several clinical conditions. Finally, among other obstacles, there are barriers inherent to distance care platforms, which need to compile, organize and protect the confidentiality of patient data. It is emphasized the need to implement service flows and better platforms for recording the patient's medical information in order to protect their data, as well as the referral to face-to-face care in the circumstances in which it is necessary.