Impact of COVID-19 on Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening

This paper highlights how a multi-center telemedicine program in India successfully adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continued screening and care for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in newborns. It showcases innovative strategies to maintain access to critical eye health services despite disruptions in healthcare delivery leading to the the Indian ROP Society adopting these screening strategies.

Expanding Telemedicine Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity in India

This paper evaluates how expanding the KIDROP telemedicine model for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) screening could prevent blindness in newborns across India. I performed the data analysis for this paper by calculating the significant cost savings and blindness burden reduction achieved by implementing this scalable approach in underserved regions, emphasizing the model’s potential for nationwide impact. This paper served as a key evidence for the expansion of telemedicine ROP screening in India.

Role of Improved Neonatal Care in Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening

This paper examines how advancements in neonatal care have influenced the occurrence and characteristics of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in rural neonatal centers in India. It highlights how better healthcare for premature babies has changed the types and severity of ROP cases seen in these areas, providing insights into improving early detection and treatment strategies for vulnerable infants. This paper served as an important evidence to educate neonatalogists and the importance of their collaboration in newborn eye disease management.

Telemedicine screening in rural outreach centers in India

This paper explores how a telemedicine program, KIDROP, successfully provided Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) screening to rural areas in India, addressing a lack of specialized care. By training non-physicians to use portable imaging devices, it significantly expanded access, with over 20,000 imaging sessions conducted, and provided a scalable model for underserved regions in middle-income countries. This is a highly cited landmark paper that has influenced screening in middle-income countries worldwide.