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Methodist Hospital is First in Country to
Offer New Approach To Head Off Eye Problems for Diabetic Patients
By sitting in front of a camera and having a photo taken
of their eye, patients of Methodist Hospital’s Bove Diabetes
Center will be able to take advantage of the expertise of
the region’s leading eye specialists—without leaving
South Philadelphia. For the first time in the United States,
a Web-based program enables ophthalmologists at Wills Eye
Hospital to view the picture remotely and determine whether
the diabetes patient has early signs of eye disease.
“Diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of new cases
of blindness in the United States,” said Robert Sergott,
M.D., director of Ophthalmic Services at the Methodist Hospital
Division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “This
blindness may be preventable if a person’s eyes are treated
for the disease when it first appears.” During their
routine visit to the Bove Diabetes Center, patients are brought
into a specially outfitted room that has a camera with an
infrared light. With the assistance of a technician, the patient
is seated in front of the camera and a photo is taken of the
patient’s retina and optic nerve. There is no need to
dilate the patient’s pupils and the patient feels no
discomfort.
The photo is automatically saved through a computer software
program where it can be accessed at a later time by an eye
specialist who will evaluate it for any sign of diabetic eye
disease or retinopathy, and glaucoma. Whether or not the ophthalmologist
finds a problem, a report is sent to the endocrinologist who
is coordinating the patient’s diabetes treatment. If
the ophthalmologist notes a problem, the endocrinologist can
then recommend the patient begin treatment.
“People with diabetes often put off seeing an ophthalmologist
until they have a problem,” notes Dr. Sergott, who is
also co-director of Neuro-Ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital
and assistant professor of Ophthalmology at Jefferson Medical
College of Thomas Jefferson University. “Diabetic retinopathy
begins with no symptoms. This new service enables us to diagnose
and treat an eye problem at an early stage.”
“Although diabetes is a chronic and incurable disease,
this new service permits us to identify eye problems earlier
and help patients maintain a positive quality of life,”
says Barry Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division
of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital.
The remote Web-based application is operated by Interactive
Medicine, Inc. A pioneer in telemedicine applications, Interactive
Medicine, Inc., has been providing innovative tele-health
solutions to meet the needs of health-care providers and facilities
since 1996. After the initial rollout at Methodist Hospital,
Interactive Medicine, Inc. will shortly make this new disease
management technology available throughout the country.
Located in the heart of South Philadelphia, the Methodist
Hospital Division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,
a member of the Jefferson Health System, offers a wide variety
of health-care and medical services to the community. Patients
from all over the area can receive a full range of services
including emergency care, cardiac care and rehabilitation,
diagnostic imaging services, cancer care and radiation therapy,
expert shoulder and elbow care, diabetes treatment, women's
health specialties and more.
For information about Interactive Medicine, Inc., (www.intemed.com)
contact Stephen A. Rogers, president and chief executive officer
at 410-415-5359.
Published: 7-21-2004
Media Only Contact:
Nan Myers
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Phone: 215/955-6300
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