Implementation of Telehealth for Vision Therapy in an Academic Setting

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Midwestern University Eye Institute located in Glendale, Arizona rescheduled all nonessential eyecare, including the Vision Therapy services. Postponing weekly vision therapy sessions posed two primary problems for both the patients of the Eye Institute and the third- and fourth-year optometry students. First, it would disrupt the treatment plan for patients, many of whom were in the middle of their therapy program. Second, this would severely limit third- and fourth-year optometry student exposure to the field and reduce their overall patient encounter numbers. Therefore, the Arizona College of Optometry (AZCOPT) Pediatric and Binocular Vision faculty and staff developed a contingency plan to implement Telehealth Vision Therapy for approved patients with the goals of continuing weekly vision therapy sessions and increasing patient encounters for optometry students. This implementation proved to be successful, with patients continuing therapy at home with self-reported improvement in symptoms. The department’s implementation became a model for the Eye Institute’s overall rollout of telemedicine services.