Tele-Optometry in Pakistan: Perceived Benefits, Challenges, and Adoption Willingness Among Optometrists

Abstract

Objective: To determine the level of awareness, attitudes, and intentions of practicing optometrists in Pakistan to use tele-optometry, and the perceived benefits, challenges, and training requirements.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used, but it was descriptive and comprised certified optometrists in Pakistan. A professional network, email list, and the social media platform were used to distribute a structured survey in the form of a Google Forms questionnaire to conduct data collection. The survey was conducted on 234 licensed optometrists who are now in the clinical practice. The provincial distribution, level of awareness, willingness to adopt tele-optometry, and perceived challenges were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Result: Out of 234 respondents 45.7% were of Punjab (n=107), 24.4% of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (n=57), 20.5% of Sindh (n=48) and 9.4% of Baluchistan (n=22). Mostly, 87% were willing to embrace tele-optometry, 11% partially willing because of drug abuse and lack of understanding of treatment directions, and a small percentage wanted to use only hands-on practice. The participants reported better access, convenience, and better follow-up care as one of the key advantages, and diagnostic restrictions, digital literacy, and regulatory issue as one of the key limitations. Furthermore, nearly 69% said that they had a need to have formal training or workshops to ensure that they successfully use tele-optometry in their practice.

Conclusion: The research shows high levels of professional acceptance and preparedness of the Pakistani optometrists to the tele-optometry service, which indicates its relevance to increasing the accessibility and sustainability of eye care. Nevertheless, the effective implementation will mandate the use of organized training initiatives, well-defined clinical guidelines, and enhanced digital infrastructure to overcome the issue of safety, diagnostic precision, and patient comprehension. Tele-optometry when combined with conventional clinic-based service can be an important instrument to lower hypocrisy in eye-care services in Pakistan.