Telemedicine - Bicknell TeleVision Center

New telemedicine technology now available at the Emory Eye Center is helping diabetic patients receive convenient sight-saving eye screenings at Grady Memorial Hospital and at a clinic in South DeKalb. This technology provides an effective and efficient way to screen a large population of underserved patients at high risk for diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that affects half of the 14 million Americans with diabetes. With proper treatment, loss of vision from this disease is completely preventable.

For many diabetic patients, it is not practical or possible to regularly visit a retina specialist who best can diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy. Many patients at risk are indigent, elderly or live in rural or even urban areas where there is no access to this type of care. Emory's telemedicine technology brings a retina specialist's diagnostic expertise to their primary care physician's or endocrinologist's office.

Using a special digital camera, a technician at the office simply photographs the patient's retinas (dilation of the eyes isn't required) and sends the images over the Internet to the reading station at the Emory Eye Center. There, a specially trained reader can quickly determine whether the retina is in danger. If so, one of Emory's retina specialists will determine the next step in treatment.

As the telemedicine service expands and the Emory Eye Center receives funding to purchase additional cameras, routine screenings for diabetic retinopathy and other blinding retinal diseases such as macular degeneration will be available at physician's offices throughout the region. Emory Comprehensive ophthalmologist Maria Aaron, directs this service.

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