For a decade staff from Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital Districts ophthalmology unit in Finland have been travelling across rural areas of Northern Finland with a trailer fully equipped to do screenings for diabetic retinopathy. Thousands of patients in Finland have been examined at the mobile eye clinic called ‘EyeMo’ saving time and effort by eliminating the need to travel for the patients at the same time increasing screening volumes and saving resources for the hospital district. During the Competitive Health Services project EyeMo has been piloted by the Swedish partners in the County Council of Västerbotten.
Over 150 patients living in the sparsely populated rural areas in Västerbotten, Sweden, were called to participate in screening of diabetic retinopathy at a mobile eye unit during 2010. Instead of travelling to the main hospital to take part in the screening the patients were examined at the mobile eye unit. The mobile eye unit is an on the road clinic for ophthalmology nurses which is fully equipped to do screenings of diabetic retinopathy. The medical professionals who examine patients at the unit have received special training in evaluating diabetic retinopathy, and are usually able to give patients the screening results on the spot.
The staff sees clear benefits in examining patients locally; not only does it decrease travel for the patients but it also leads to fewer cancelled appointments and increases access to specialist care in rural areas. Many of the elderly patients are not able to travel to the main hospital to receive the examination, making it vital for them to be offered to possibility to be screened for retinopathy locally. During the pilot period patients saved more than 33 000 kilometres in travel in often extreme weather conditions.
Patients who have visited the mobile eye unit have been very satisfied with the trial; they would recommend the service to friends and family members and would like to be examined at the mobile unit in the future. Patients greatly appreciated the chance to receive specialist care in their own municipality and were pleased with receiving the results of the screening at once.
See a preview of a video where Associate Professor Eva Lindh Waterworth tells about piloting of the Mobile Eye Clinic EyeMo in Sweden. This video is part of the final project report. You may read the Final report of the Swedish pilot here: [Final report Sweden]
