The power of technology
Eye screening using Peek in Kenya © Rolex: Joan Bardeletti
This weeks guest blogger is Dr Hillary Rono, Peek Researcher and Advisor writes about a new study that was published in The Lancet Digital Health on Peek Community Eye Health system.
As one of the very few eye doctors in a rural region of western Kenya, I am acutely aware of the need to find better ways to connect more people to eye care services. I see many patients who have been living for years with preventable or treatable eye problems, and some who sadly arrive at the hospital only when it’s too late for interventions to help them. Often those who come to the hospital have conditions that could have been managed at the primary level, reducing capacity for others who need the limited specialist services.
Yet as much as there are challenges, there are also potential solutions if we find ways to innovate. I and colleagues have just published an exciting study that demonstrates an evidence-based approach to reducing vision loss at scale. We conducted a randomised controlled trial of more than 128,000 people in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya and found that using an mHealth tool (the Peek Community Eye Health System) to screen and refer participants greatly increased access to care for people with eye problems compared with the standard approach.
Not only that but the limited specialist resources at the hospital were used more appropriately during the trial, with a much higher proportion of people attending for complex conditions such as cataract than previously observed (62.9% versus 8% in a previous period prior to using Peek). Our study also confirmed that non-specialist community volunteers can accurately screen and refer people to care using smartphone technology, enabling wider service coverage and freeing up capacity among specialist workers. I believe this technology and approach has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of many people in regions with limited resources.
With the number of people with vision problems growing globally, it’s vital that we embrace innovative solutions in eye health. And once we have these solutions in our hands, we must find ways to work together across sectors to deliver them at scale, making sure they quickly reach the regions and communities that need them most.