Quality and Diagnostic Utility of Mydriatic Smartphone Photography: The Smartphone Ophthalmoscopy Reliability Trial

Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2015 Jun;46(6):631-7. doi: 10.3928/23258160-20150610-06.

Abstract

Background and objective: Establish quality and diagnostic utility of mydriatic smartphone ophthalmoscopy (SO) fundus images compared to fundus camera (FC) images.

Patients and methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional study, 94 consecutive patients in an urban eye emergency department underwent SO and FC fundus imaging via one of three study arms: medical student 1 (MS1), medical student 2 (MS2), and ophthalmology resident (OR). Images of 188 eyes were graded for overall quality by two masked reviewers, and observed critical fundus findings were compared to dilated fundus examination documentation.

Results: SO images were higher quality in the OR arm than in the MS1 and MS2 arms (P < .017). There were no differences in FC image quality between photographers (all P > .328). In the OR arm, SO images detected 74.3% of critical fundus findings, whereas FC images detected 77.1%.

Conclusion: SO produces fundus images approaching the quality and diagnostic utility of traditional FC photographs.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Fundus Oculi
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mydriatics / administration & dosage
  • Observer Variation
  • Ophthalmology
  • Ophthalmoscopy / methods*
  • Papilledema / diagnosis
  • Photography / instrumentation
  • Photography / standards*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • Quality of Health Care*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retinal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Smartphone / instrumentation
  • Smartphone / standards*

Substances

  • Mydriatics