E-mentorships improve clinical care in poor countries

Facilitating ophthalmology mentorships through telecommunication has improved clinical care for children with retinoblastoma, according to research by eye sight charity Orbis International. 

The study, published in JCO Global Oncology, reviewed 653 retinoblastoma consultations undertaken by 38 different mentees from 2004 to 2023, through Orbis’ Cybersight e-learning and teleophthalmology platform. 

Eye care professionals in low and middle-income countries with few ophthalmological screenings and treatment resources benefited from knowledge sharing over a 20-year period, improving patient management and patient outcomes. 

Three clinical care areas were noted to have significant improvement: understanding and recording patient symptoms, classifying the disease’s type and how advanced it is, and the results of treatment.