# Using Telemedicine to Prevent Blindness in an At-Risk Rural Alabama Population

> **NIH ALLCDC U01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $699,999

## Abstract

Project Summary
The number of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) cases will increase by 250% by
2050, directly affecting over 7 million lives. These numbers are specifically for POAG
and do not include the many who are monitored and treated for elevated intraocular
pressure or for glaucoma suspect status, which along with POAG can all be considered
glaucoma associated diseases (GAD). Development of high-quality, accessible, and
cost-effective strategies for eye care for these individuals is of critical importance.
POAG is at least 4-5 times higher in African Americans, progresses more rapidly and
appears about 10 years earlier as compared to those of European descent. This
research plan seeks to implement and evaluate a telemedicine-based detection and
management strategy for GAD and other eye diseases in patients seen at Federally
Qualified Health Centers (FQHC’s) located in the rural Alabama Black Belt Region. This
region is characterized by one of the highest concentrations of African Americans in the
US; high poverty, unemployment, and uninsured rates; inadequate educational
systems, transportation and community resources; few optometrists who largely
practice in retail settings; and no ophthalmologists specializing in glaucoma. We have
developed and tested a novel multimodal telemedicine approach in our prior CDC-
funded Eye Care Quality and Accessibility Improvement in the Community (EQUALITY)
study that used comprehensive remote optic nerve assessment (RONA). This proposal
will employ a modification of the EQUALITY approach using portable measurement of
visual function and optic nerve and retinal structure that are more applicable to rural
locations with limited resources. We will also identify and evaluate remediation
strategies for the barriers to patient adherence with referral and follow-up appointments
by comparing the effectiveness of financial incentives along with a validated patient
education program versus a validated patient education program alone. Using this
program within FQHC’s will enable expansion nationwide into rural and urban
underserved locations as these centers provide primary health care services in
underserved areas and treat more than 27 million people yearly at over 12,000 sites.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10044447
- **Project number:** 5U01DP006441-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Lindsay A Rhodes
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $699,999
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2021-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10044447

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10044447, Using Telemedicine to Prevent Blindness in an At-Risk Rural Alabama Population (5U01DP006441-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10044447. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*