Mobile Eye Units in the United States and Canada: A Narrative Review of Structures, Services and Challenges.
Villabona-Martinez, Valeria; Zdunek, Anna A.; Jiang, Jessica Y.; Sepulveda-Beltran, Paula A.; Hobson, Zeila A.; Waxman, Evan L.
Why this matters
The design of a mobile eye unit shapes its costs, staffing, throughput, and the care it can provide. A review of mobile eye units in the United States and Canada identifies fully equipped, semi-mobile, school-based, and hybrid teleophthalmology models, and finds follow-up and continuity of care the common weakness across all four.
Study details
Abstract
This narrative review examines Mobile Eye Units (MEUs) in the US and Canada. Four operational models were identified: Fully Equipped Mobile Units, Semi-Mobile Outreach Units, School-Based Vision Mobile Units, and Hybrid Teleophthalmology Units. Approximately 21% of US ophthalmology residency programs publicly report involvement in mobile outreach. Across all models, follow-up and continuity of care remain major implementation challenges.