Teleophthalmology: A Sustainable Approach to Decarbonizing Eye Care
Description
Objective: Evaluate the carbon emissions reduction from a teleophthalmology programme. Methods: this cross-sectional study of teleophthalmology was conducted in Complejo Asistencial de Ávila, Spain. All individuals aged 18 and above who participated in teleophthalmology consultations between November 2022 and October 2023 were included in the study. Carbon emissions savings were estimated. Results: A total of 1,011 teleophthalmology consultations were conducted at Rural Health Centers in the analyzed period. Main reasons of consultation were diabetic retinopathy screening (857 [84.82%]), arterial hypertension (87 [8.60%]) and age macular degeneration (23 [2.26%]). 138 (13.65%) required referral to a face-to-face consultation. 88,888 km driven in a private vehicle (mean [SD] 97.92 [6.70] km per visit) and a 17,422 kg CO2e emissions into the atmosphere (mean [SD] 17.23 [4.52] kg CO2e per visit) were avoided. Conclusions: Teleophthalmology, while contributing to the decarbonization of eye care, presents an opportunity to enhance healthcare accessibility through sustainable digitalization.