Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Botswana-UPenn Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana.
Telemed J E Health. 2020 Feb;26(2):255-258. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2018.0213. Epub 2019 Mar 14.
Child eye health is a significant public health issue in low- and middle-income countries, such as Botswana, and the need for eye care requires a well-integrated and innovative approach. Traditional vision screening tools are costly, difficult to transport, and reliant on highly trained eye care professionals. Novel smartphone-based vision screening technologies, however, are low cost, portable, and easily operated by trained novice users. Peek Vision is a mobile health (m-Health) organization that creates smartphone applications that screen for visual acuity, generate referrals to eye care professionals, and send phone notifications to those being screened. In 2016, the government of Botswana partnered with local and international stakeholders to implement Peek vision screening in a subset of schoolchildren. From June to December of 2016, teachers, health assistants, nurses, and other volunteers in 49 schools in the Goodhope Subdistrict utilized Peek applications to screen schoolchildren, using acuity <6/12 in the better eye as a threshold for visual impairment. Among 12,877 children screened, the application identified 16% (2,065/12,877) as screening positive for visual impairment, and these students were referred for optometric care. Ultimately, 96% (1,985/2,065) attended optometry triage camps, during which 42% (835/1,985) were provided with spectacles, 5% (94/1,985) received ophthalmic medications, and 3% (63/1,985) were referred for ophthalmic care. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive vision screening in schoolchildren in Botswana. Furthermore, the successful implementation of Peek smartphone applications illustrates the potential of m-Health technology for enacting comprehensive vision screening programs at a national level in Botswana and other similar countries.
儿童眼健康是博茨瓦纳等中低收入国家的一个重大公共卫生问题，对眼保健的需求需要采取综合和创新的方法。传统的视力筛查工具成本高、运输困难，且依赖于经过高度培训的眼科专业人员。然而，新型基于智能手机的视力筛查技术成本低、便携且易于经过培训的新手用户操作。Peek Vision 是一家移动医疗 (m-Health) 组织，开发了用于筛查视力的智能手机应用程序，为眼科保健专业人员提供转诊，并向接受筛查的人员发送手机通知。2016 年，博茨瓦纳政府与当地和国际利益相关者合作，在一部分学童中实施 Peek 视力筛查。2016 年 6 月至 12 月，Goodhope 分区的 49 所学校的教师、卫生助理、护士和其他志愿者利用 Peek 应用程序对学童进行筛查，以较好眼的视力 <6/12 作为视力障碍的阈值。在接受筛查的 12877 名儿童中，应用程序发现有 16%（2065/12877）的儿童视力筛查呈阳性，这些学生被转诊接受验光护理。最终，96%（1985/2065）的学生参加了验光分诊营，其中 42%（835/1985）获得了眼镜，5%（94/1985）接受了眼科药物治疗，3%（63/1985）被转诊接受眼科治疗。这些发现突显了博茨瓦纳在学童中进行全面视力筛查的必要性。此外，Peek 智能手机应用程序的成功实施表明，移动医疗技术在博茨瓦纳和其他类似国家实施国家层面全面视力筛查计划的潜力。
