THE Lions Eye Institute is calling on the Western Australian Government to increase its use of telemedicine, a technology that has been proven to slash costs and treat patients suffering from blinding eye diseases.
The institute has successfully completed a one-year trial of its teleophthalmology technology in the Gascoyne region.
The technology, used to transmit images of eye diseases from remote locations to ophthalmologists in Perth, was used by 118 patients in the region up to July 2003.
The average cost of a face-to-face ophthalmic consultation is $260.
However, the institute’s trial showed a teleophthalmology consultation would cost $107.
Institute eye specialist Kanagasingham Yogesan said the successful trial added weight to official recommendations that telemedicine be brought into the mainstream health practice.
"In March the Health Reform Committee – known as the Reid Report – said telehealth was fast becoming part of the services meeting the health needs of people living in rural and remote areas," Professor Yogesan said.
"The report added that telehealth needed to be further developed in WA."
The introduction of teleophthalmology services to the Carnarvon Regional Hospital has resulted in a 15 per cent decrease in outpatients with eye-related conditions from 2002-03 to 2003-04.