Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 May 18;18(5):951-957.
doi: 10.18240/ijo.2025.05.22. eCollection 2025.

Application of smartphone ophthalmoscope in ophthalmic clinical practice and teaching

Affiliations
Review

Application of smartphone ophthalmoscope in ophthalmic clinical practice and teaching

Jia-Ning Qiu et al. Int J Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

The rapid development and increasing popularity of smartphones have led to their gradual integration as essential aids in medical examinations and teaching tools. The smartphone ophthalmoscope (SO) is one of them. Specifically, SO is comprised of a smartphone and an attachment. The smartphone serves as a versatile device for recording and transmitting information, while the attachment functions as a tool for phone fixation as well as focus adjustment and providing light resources, albeit with slight variations across different devices. Presently, the convenience, universality, and transferability of SO have greatly expanded its potential in fields of clinical practice and ocular teaching. The review provides a concise overview of the contemporary SO devices, elucidates the diseases amenable to assessment via SO, and outlines the various applications of SO in clinical practice and teaching.

Keywords: medical education; ocular consultation; ophthalmoscope; smartphone.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: Qiu JN, None; Luo J, None; Xie MY, None.

Similar articles

References

    1. Jabir AR, Zaheer HA, Zaheer MA, et al. Detection and diagnosis of retinoblastoma: can mobile devices be the next step toward early intervention? Cureus. 2022;14(10):e30074. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hogarty DT, Hogarty JP, Hewitt AW. Smartphone use in ophthalmology: What is their place in clinical practice? Surv Ophthalmol. 2020;65(2):250–262. - PubMed
    1. AlHilali SM, AlMuammar AM, AlKahtani E, et al. Preferred method of education among patients in ophthalmic care in Saudi Arabia. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2016;23(2):168–171. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Collon S, Chang D, Tabin G, et al. Utility and feasibility of teleophthalmology using a smartphone-based ophthalmic camera in screening camps in Nepal. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila) 2020;9(1):54–58. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ozdalga E, Ozdalga A, Ahuja N. The smartphone in medicine: a review of current and potential use among physicians and students. J Med Internet Res. 2012;14(5):e128. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources