Technology and Innovation in Global Ophthalmology: The Past, the Potential, and a Path Forward.

Abstract

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 2.2 billion people suffer from visual impairment globally.1 Nearly half of these cases are preventable or undertreated. Limitations in the accessibility and quality of vision care remain significant drivers of this burden of disease. These issues are important in every community regardless of socioeconomic status but disproportionately affect individuals in low-income and middle-income countries. “Accessibility” in this context refers to the ability of a person in need to contact, either virtually or in person, an appropriate care provider capable of diagnosing and managing the underlying etiology of their visual impairment. A number of barriers can limit accessibility, including the cost of receiving care, the physical distance between patient and provider and lack of feasible transportation to traverse this distance, communication limitations, including language and cultural barriers between provider and patient, lack of individual agency or a sense of not being a participant in one’s care, and an inadequate number of qualified providers relative to the burden of illness in the population. “Quality” of care refers to the amount of benefits