Teleophthalmology and Teleglaucoma in Clinical Practice: Attitudes of Ophthalmologists in Bulgaria.
About one-third of Bulgarian ophthalmologists already provide teleophthalmology services.
Teleophthalmology and Teleglaucoma in Clinical Practice: Attitudes of Ophthalmologists in Bulgaria.
Over the past two decades, teleophthalmology has become an effective approach for glaucoma screening and follow-up, with its adoption markedly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aim of the present study was to explore and analyze the attitudes of ophthalmologists in Bulgaria toward the application of teleglaucoma, digital communication, and artificial intelligence in clinical practice.
A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 113 ophthalmologists between September 2024 and March 2025, representing 10.5% of all licensed ophthalmologists in Bulgaria (n = 1074).
over a third of surveyed eye doctors already offer remote eye‑care visits
The level of awareness regarding the term 'teleophthalmology' was higher among respondents with a specialization in ophthalmology and those holding a doctoral degree ( p = 0.001).
The most preferred method for conducting teleophthalmology consultations was telephone communication (n = 27; 67.5%), followed by communication via Skype, Viber, or Messenger (n = 23; 57.5%).
Physicians with longer professional experience more frequently conducted remote consultations with patients they already knew ( p = 0.006).
The present study outlined the current landscape of attitudes among ophthalmologists in Bulgaria toward teleglaucoma, digital communication, and the use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice.
The findings indicated a moderately positive yet cautious stance-remote services were perceived primarily as complementary tools, particularly for the follow-up of previously known patients and for real-time collaboration between specialists.