Trained nurse–operated teleophthalmology screening approach as a cost-effective tool for diabetic retinopathy

Author(s):  
Shubhaa Chawla ◽  
Aastha Chawla ◽  
Rajeev Chawla ◽  
Shalini Jaggi ◽  
Deependra Singh ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nadeem Ashraf ◽  
Muhammad Hussain ◽  
Zulfiqar Habib

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness in diabetic patients. The increasing population of diabetic patients and difficulty to diagnose it at an early stage are limiting the screening capabilities of manual diagnosis by ophthalmologists. Color fundus images are widely used to detect DR lesions due to their comfortable, cost-effective and non-invasive acquisition procedure. Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) of DR based on these images can assist ophthalmologists and help in saving many sight years of diabetic patients. In a CAD system, preprocessing is a crucial phase, which significantly affects its performance. Commonly used preprocessing operations are the enhancement of poor contrast, balancing the illumination imbalance due to the spherical shape of a retina, noise reduction, image resizing to support multi-resolution, color normalization, extraction of a field of view (FOV), etc. Also, the presence of blood vessels and optic discs makes the lesion detection more challenging because these two artifacts exhibit specific attributes, which are similar to those of DR lesions. Preprocessing operations can be broadly divided into three categories: 1) fixing the native defects, 2) segmentation of blood vessels, and 3) localization and segmentation of optic discs. This paper presents a review of the state-of-the-art preprocessing techniques related to three categories of operations, highlighting their significant aspects and limitations. The survey is concluded with the most effective preprocessing methods, which have been shown to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the CAD systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 740-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn Williams-Voorbeijtel ◽  
Francisco Sanchez ◽  
Christine G Roth

AimsElimination of non-value added testing without compromising high-quality clinical care is an important mandate for laboratories in a value-based reimbursement system. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal combination of flow cytometric markers for a screening approach that balances efficiency and accuracy.MethodsAn audit over 9 months of flow cytometric testing was performed, including rereview of all dot plots from positive cases.ResultsOf the 807 cases in which leukaemia/lymphoma testing was performed, 23 were non-diagnostic and 189 represented bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. Of the remaining 595 cases, 137 (23%) were positive for an abnormal haematolymphoid population. Review of the positive cases identified minimum requirements for a screening tube as well as analysis strategies to overcome the diagnostic pitfalls noted. It is estimated that 38% fewer antibodies would be used in a screening approach, representing an opportunity for significant cost savings.ConclusionsWe provide a framework for developing an evidence-based screening combination for cost-effective characterisation of haematolymphoid malignancies, promoting adoption of ‘just-in-time’ testing systems that tailor the evaluation to the diagnostic need.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 818-824

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) causes blindness of the population in many countries worldwide. Early detection and treatment of this disease via a DR screening program is the best way to secure the vision. An annual screening program using pharmacological pupil dilatation becomes the standard method. Recently, non-mydriatic ultrawide-field fundus photography (UWF) has been proposed as a choice for DR screening. However, there was no cost-effectiveness study between the standard DR screening and this UWF approach. Objective: To compare the cost-effectiveness between UWF and pharmacological pupil dilatation in terms of hospital and societal perspectives. Materials and Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus that visited the ophthalmology clinic at Chulabhorn Hospital for DR screening were randomized using simple randomization method. The patients were interviewed by a trained interviewer for general and economic information. The clinical characteristics of DR and staging were recorded. Direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and informal care costs due to DR screening were recorded. Cost analyses were calculated for the hospital and societal perspectives. Results: The present study presented the cost-effectiveness analyses of UWF versus pharmacological pupil dilatation. Cost-effectiveness analysis from the hospital perspective showed the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of UWF to be –13.87. UWF was a cost-effective mean in DR screening in the societal perspective when compared with pharmacologically pupil dilatation with the ICER of 76.46, under the threshold of willingness to pay. Conclusion: The UWF was a cost-effective mean in DR screening. It can reduce screening duration and bypass post-screening blurred vision. The results suggested that UWF could be a viable option for DR screening. Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetic retinopathy screening, Non-mydriatic ultrawide-field fundus photography, Cost-effectiveness analysis


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
Christopher Sampson ◽  
Marilyn James ◽  
David Whynes ◽  
Antonio Eleuteri ◽  
Simon Harding

Introduction:There is growing evidence that many people attending annual screening for diabetic retinopathy in the United Kingdom (UK) are at low risk of developing the disease. This has led to new policy statements. However, the basis on which to establish a risk-based individualized variable-recall screening program has not yet been determined. We present a methodology for using information on an individual's risk factors to improve the allocation of resources within a screening program.Methods:We developed a patient-level state-transition model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of risk-based screening for diabetic retinopathy in the UK. The model incorporated a recently developed risk calculation engine that predicts an individual's risk of disease onset, and allocated individuals to alternative screening recall periods according to this level of risk. Using the findings, we demonstrate a means of estimating: (i) a threshold level of risk, above which individuals should be invited to screening, and (ii) the optimum screening recall period for an individual, based on the expected cost-effectiveness of screening and treatment.Results:The cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrated that standardized screening (current practice) is the least cost-effective program. Individualized screening can improve outcomes at a reduced cost. We found it feasible – though computationally expensive – to incorporate a risk calculation engine into a decision model in Microsoft Excel. In an optimized screening program, the majority or patients would be invited to attend screening at least two years after a negative screening result.Conclusions:Individualized risk-based screening is likely to be cost-effective in the context of diabetic eye disease in the UK. It is expected that risk calculation engines will be developed in other disease areas in the future, and used to allocate screening and treatment at the individual level. It is important that researchers develop robust methods for combining risk calculation engines into decision analytic models and health technology assessment more broadly.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. A609
Author(s):  
H. Mistry ◽  
P. Auguste ◽  
N. Lois ◽  
N. Waugh

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Scarpa ◽  
Francesca Urban ◽  
Stela Vujosevic ◽  
Michele Tessarin ◽  
Giovanni Gallo ◽  
...  

Aims. The study aimed to present the experience of a screening programme for early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) using a nonmydriatic fundus camera, evaluating the feasibility in terms of validity, resources absorption, and future advantages of a potential application, in an Italian local health authority. Methods. Diabetic patients living in the town of Ponzano, Veneto Region (Northern Italy), were invited to be enrolled in the screening programme. The “no prevention strategy” with the inclusion of the estimation of blindness related costs was compared with screening costs in order to evaluate a future extensive and feasible implementation of the procedure, through a budget impact approach. Results. Out of 498 diabetic patients eligible, 80% was enrolled in the screening programme. 115 patients (34%) were referred to an ophthalmologist and 9 cases required prompt treatment for either proliferative DR or macular edema. Based on the pilot data, it emerged that an extensive use of the investigated screening programme, within the Greater Treviso area, could prevent 6 cases of blindness every year, resulting in a saving of €271,543.32 (−13.71%). Conclusions. Fundus images obtained with a nonmydriatic fundus camera could be considered an effective, cost-sparing, and feasible screening tool for the early detection of DR, preventing blindness as a result of diabetes.


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