Dry Eye Dx and Tx: <br>Telehealth Enters the Dry Eye Arena</br> - Summary - MDSpire
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Dry Eye Dx and Tx: <br>Telehealth Enters the Dry Eye Arena</br>

  • By

  • Tiffany Andrzejewski, OD

  • September 1, 2026

  • 5 min

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Objective:

To explore the role of telehealth in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease (DED).

Approach:
  • Patient Care Insights: Discusses patient delays in seeking care and the potential of telehealth platforms for managing DED.
  • Telehealth Implementation: Describes a direct-to-consumer telehealth platform for DED that includes an online symptom questionnaire and home delivery of treatment.
  • Assessment Tools: Highlights the importance of validated questionnaires like the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) for remote assessments.
  • Hybrid Care Model: Proposes a hybrid model combining telehealth visits with in-person exams for comprehensive care.
Key Findings:
  • Approximately 16 million Americans are affected by dry eye disease.
  • Many patients delay seeking care, with significant numbers experiencing symptoms for years.
  • Teleoptometry is effective for managing diagnosed patients and monitoring treatment compliance.
  • A complete dry eye workup requires in-person exams and specialized equipment.
Interpretation:

Telehealth can enhance access to care and follow-up for DED but is not a substitute for comprehensive in-person evaluations.

Limitations:
  • Telehealth platforms may have poor image quality, impacting assessment accuracy.
  • Conditions mimicking dry eye require in-person examinations for proper diagnosis.
Conclusion:

A hybrid model of care is suggested, starting with telehealth for symptom review followed by in-person exams.

Sources:

Original Source(s)

Dry Eye Dx and Tx: <br>Telehealth Enters the Dry Eye Arena</br>

  • by Tiffany Andrzejewski, OD

  • September 1, 2026

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