Deadline extended: Submit comments on AOA policy statement on telemedicine in optometry

Bet you never got an assignment in optometry school quite like this.

On the first day of the semester at the University of Missouri at St. Louis School of Optometry, assistant clinical professor Tareq Nabhan, O.D., assigned students in his “Telehealth” course a special project—review and provide feedback on the AOA’s Policy Statement on Telemedicine in Optometry which is up for an update. Another way to give them a glimpse of what it takes to participate in the profession.

“It appropriately complements my teaching style by engaging the students through crowd-sourcing projects that take the course beyond the classroom and right into expected clinical best practices,” Dr. Nabhan says. “Since we're only in our third week of the semester, I have requested contributions later on in the semester so they have a stronger working knowledge of the nuances of telehealth (telemedicine, tele-triage, tele-optometry, tele-retina, artificial intelligence, webside manner, etc.) and can provide more meaningful contributions to the AOA's effort at keeping optometry strong and flexible in keeping our patients safe and our profession relevant in a drastically evolving landscape”

The invitation

You can still make a contribution to the update of the AOA’s groundbreaking and industry-leading Policy Statement on Telemedicine in Optometry.

The deadline to submit comments for proposed changes to the statement has been extended to Nov. 1. Read the current statement and submit feedback online here.

The council invites comments by doctors of optometry, optometry students, paraoptometric staff and others with health and technology expertise to offer comments and fresh insight into current and emerging quality care delivery issues related to remote care, artificial intelligence, and new or planned technologies

The update is led by the AOA Board of Trustees’ Telehealth Council, which is seeking comments on sections of the statement that may need revision or review.

“Stakeholder input is critical in assuring a diversity of thoughts and perspectives are considered in the development of an updated policy,” says Christopher Quinn, O.D., council chair.

Last revised and then approved by the AOA Board of Trustees in 2022, the topics covered in the current policy statement include:

• Key terminology.
• AOA’s support of telemedicine in optometry.
• Criteria for ensuring high quality telemedicine in optometry.
• Organization, training and implementation.
• The doctor-patient relationship and the use of direct-to-patient technology.
• Administration and legal considerations.

It was developed by the AOA with input from leaders in eye, health, vision care, artificial intelligence, telehealth platforms and practicing physicians.

The current policy statement reads:

“The AOA supports the appropriate use of telemedicine in optometry to access high-value, high-quality eye, health and vision care. Telemedicine in optometry can serve to expand patient access to care, improve coordination of care, and enhance communication among all health care practitioners involved in the care of a patient. The AOA supports coverage of and fair and equitable reimbursement for telemedicine in optometry. The AOA also affirms that efforts are needed to ensure health equity in telehealth. All individuals should have the opportunity to receive the standard of eye health and vision care regardless of location, socio-economic status, or any other Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).”

Since 2017, the policy statement has served as guidance on comprehensive telemedicine care and delivery for physicians, payers, policymakers, the media and industry.

Read more about how the AOA developed the initial Position Statement on Telemedicine in Optometry, published in 2022.

Students eager to give feedback

Already some students have submitted comments, though the deadline is in November. Among the feedback?

“The main feedback points have been specific to the document's language limitations specific to A.I. (making the draft inclusive of specific examples of A.I. solutions in eye care), defining what is considered ‘appropriate’ and ‘high quality,’ what the integration of some of these emerging solutions might look like in eye care, and overall, more clear guidance to practicing telemedicine in optometry,” Dr. Nabhan says.

“I cover nearly all of these topics in the course; a consequence of recognizing my responsibility to our patients, students, profession and the AOA,” he adds.