Original article written and posted in UMSL Daily by Jessica Rogen and the photo was taken by August Jennewein.
Until a handful of years ago, telehealth didn’t mean too much in optometry.
For many, it’s brought to mind dubious websites selling contacts or glasses without prescriptions or outdated ones, potentially endangering health for the sake of profit and convenience.
“But that’s not really telehealth,” said Tareq Nabhan, an assistant clinical professor of optometry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “Telehealth is truly keeping patients at the center of the experience, getting to patients using technology, in a thoughtful way.”
Advances in optometric technology have changed the scope of possibilities. Now optometrists can reach patients through advanced tele-optometry and tele-retinal services that didn’t exist even a decade ago. That’s opening doors for patients during the pandemic and those living in underserved areas of the U.S. and abroad.