Telemedicine Program for Screening of Diabetic Retinopathy

The UNM Ophthalmology Division has opened up the first telemedicine site at the Department of Health Public health Office in Las Cruces in October, 2008. This is one of the new projects of the UNMH Lions Eye Center that will focus in screening of diabetic patients who may not have an opportunity to have an exam otherwise. High resolution images of the retinas taken by fundus camera are transmitted to the UNM Reading Center here, and then interpreted by the doctors for screening of diabetic retinopathy. It is a non-invasive way of screening as patients do not have to have their eyes dilated. As diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the state, we will be able to detect the disease at an early stage, and use laser or appropriate measurements to fight the disease. About 150,000 people have diabetes in New Mexico, and 50,000 of them have some form of diabetic retinopathy. The screening is not a replacement of a comprehensive eye exam, but we need to screen people who are prone to have diabetic retinopathy so we can treat it as early as possible. We hope to expand this project by placing more fundus cameras throughout the state. Please join us in our mission of fighting blindness by diagnosing the disease at an early stage.