Transforming Tele-Ophthalmology: Utilizing Cloud Computing for Remote Eye Care.

Abstract

Tele-ophthalmology is gaining recognition for its role in improving eye care accessibility via cloud-based solutions. The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Healthcare API enables secure and efficient management of medical image data such as high-resolution ophthalmic images. This study investigates cloud-based solutions' effectiveness in tele-ophthalmology, with a focus on GCP's role in data management, annotation, and integration for a novel imaging device. Leveraging the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Eye Care profile, the cloud platform was utilized as a PACS and integrated with the Open Health Imaging Foundation (OHIF) Viewer for image display and annotation capabilities for ophthalmic images. The setup of a GCP DICOM storage and the OHIF Viewer facilitated remote image data analytics. Prolonged loading times and relatively large individual image file sizes indicated system challenges. Cloud platforms have the potential to ease distributed data analytics, as needed for efficient tele-ophthalmology scenarios in research and clinical practice, by providing scalable and secure image management solutions.