In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ben Szirth, PhD to learn about the utility of teleophthalmology in clinical practice and its relationship to artificial intelligence and community outreach in ophthalmology. Dr. Ben is the director of the TeleHealth Program at the New Jersey Medical School and leads the Vision Threatening Diseases screening community-based program at the Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science in Newark, NJ where he works with current medical students every week.

Episode Timestamps

0:20- Introduction

2:18- Learning about EyeNuk, Inc.’s EyeArt® and its ability to screen for vision threatening diseases 

3:24- Another interesting ophthalmology podcast recommendation!

5:40- Explaining how teleophthalmology in partnership with artificial intelligence allows us to bring advanced ocular care to disadvantaged communities

9:17- What is teleophthalmology? – Summarized.

10:00- A novel approach to monitoring Type 1 DM eye disease progression– at Disney World!

12:10- Dr. Ben’s open space model for his Vision Threatening Diseases Screening Program

15:20- Leveraging community leaders and peer advocates to establish and maintain lasting relationships within a community

17:30- Teleophthalmology offers a unique solution to improving access to care

18:31- Artificial intelligence research offers a system to validate the impact of teleophthalmology in ocular health and facilitates funding

22:20- Artificial intelligence and telehealth trend analysis

28:00- The surprising disadvantage of portable screening equipment

31:50- What does artificial intelligence research look like?

35:00- Deep learning explained

40:30- How medical students make a difference in community health

46:00- How teleophthalmology breeds innovation

*No participants of this podcast have any financial disclosures pertaining to research, products, or equipment discussed in this episode.