Screening for diabetic retinopathy: the first telemedicine approach in a primary care setting in Bahrain

To develop an integrated diabetic retinopathy screening program that uses telemedicine. In this evaluation of diagnostic technology, six telemedical screening units were established to cover all regions of Bahrain. The units were equipped with a digital fundus camera at the primary health care clinic. Fundus photographs were transmitted via the Internet to a centralized reading center. A retinal specialist at the reading center assessed the images. From 2003 to 2009, 17,490 diabetic patients were screened. Of the screened patients, 20% were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. Of these cases, 31% required treatment. Telemedicine-based screening program is a feasible and efficient means of detecting diabetic retinopathy and providing treatment

need for ophthalmologists in the Arab World

This study aimed at identifying the use of selected national indicators to estimate the need for ophthalmologists in a country. We examined the association between the rate of population per ophthalmologists and selected national indicators in 27 countries with combined population of 2.8 billion, including 15 Arab nations. The identified indicators included total hospital beds, total number of physicians, life expectancy at birth, per capita Gross National Product [GNP] and the proportion of the elderly population, 65 years and above, in the country. The study found statistically significant association between the rate of ophthalmologists in the sample countries and the number of hospital beds, total physicians in the country, life expectancy at birth and per capita GNP. The correlation between ophthalmologists per population and the elderly population was not statistically significant in the combined sample population or in the Arab countries. It was, however, strongly significant in the sample of industrialized countries. In conclusion, we believe that the use of selected national indicators may guide health manpower planners to assess and estimate the need for ophthalmologists in the country

Causes of visual disability at the Al-Noor institute for the visually impaired in Bahrain

Purpose: To determine the etiology, clinical diagnosis and prognosis and to identify the major treatable and preventable causes of visual disability among attendees at the Al-Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired in Bahrain. Method: Using the standardized methodology of the World Health Organization, a detailed study was conducted of 124 visually disabled subjects, mainly children, at the Al-Noor Institute for the Visually Impaired. The patients were examined clinically during 1994 and 1995. There were 70 Bahrainis and 54 non-Bahrainis; 81 were male and 43 female. The main causes of visual disability were due to hereditary diseases [42%]. The main cause was retinal dystrophy, while glaucoma, cataract, intrauterine infections and retinopathy of prematurity were the other main causes. Data analysis revealed that 46.8% had parents who were closely related. Moreover, the consanguinity was 63.2% in those subjects with a positive family history of visual disability among closely related family members. On the other hand, subjects who had a negative or unknown family history revealed consanguinity among parents in 32.9% of cases. The main cause of blindness is hereditary disease. Consanguinity represents an important factor in visual disability among children