PROVIDENCE – A smartphone photo of the inner eyelid is a simple tool that can be used to screen for anemia, according to a recently published study by a group of Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital emergency physicians.
Building on previous studies showing that anemia causes the lower eyelid to appear pale, researchers took smartphone images of the eyelid, or palpebral conjunctiva, of 142 patients who ranged from normal to anemic.
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By analyzing a small part of the eyelid, researchers developed a new algorithm that optimizes color resolution and a prediction model that compares eyelid color to surrounding skin and the whites of the eyes as a diagnostic tool for anemia.
The new algorithms were then tested on photos of 202 additional patients.
Study authors include Dr. Selim Suner, Dr. James Rayner and Dr. Gregory Jay, all faculty at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Emergency medicine resident Dr. Caroline Meehan was also among the authors.
The study, published last week in PLOS One, can be found here.
A smartphone app developed specifically for anemia screening could be a valuable tool for telehealth visits and for clinics in remote areas, researchers said.
“Utilization of noninvasive techniques to detect anemia opens the door to widespread screening, early diagnosis and treatment, particularly in low-resource settings where access to health care is sparse,” Rayner said.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN contributing writer.
