NEW PRODUCT APPLICATIONS

Preventing Blindness Related to Diabetic Retinopathy

IRIS’ screening platform detects patients with eye disease.

BY KAREN APPOLD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States in people aged 20 to 65. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends that people with diabetes receive a retinal eye exam every year, however, less than 18 million patients actually get one — which is less than 50%. Early detection can reduce the risk of severe vision loss by 90% and significantly reduce long-term healthcare costs.

Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS) is increasing the number of retinal screenings by offering platforms that allow primary care providers to capture images of 85% to 95% of their patients with diabetes. Retinal physicians then read the images remotely. IRIS is the only retinal telemedicine assessment service cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a class II medical device.

EASE OF USE

The Retina Group of Washington, with 14 locations in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, has partnered with local primary care physicians, endocrinologists, and hospital systems as part of its diabetic telescreening program, which uses IRIS, says T. Mark Johnson, MD, FRCSC, attending retinal surgeon. It has also employed mobile cameras mounted in vans to reach diabetic patients who obtain care at area charity clinics.

Says Jason Crawford, CEO of Pensacola, FL-based IRIS, “It only takes about four minutes for a nurse or technician at a primary care provider’s office to quickly and painlessly capture images when using IRIS. Most of the time, no dilation or drops are needed.”

“IRIS’ software provides a stable platform for reading retinal images; it’s intuitive, robust, and simple to navigate,” Dr. Johnson says. “The image quality is excellent; an enhancement feature makes it easy to detect subtle diabetic changes. Our physicians can easily read, grade images using AAO classification criteria, create concise reports, and relay the results to our internal medicine partners.”

The software interfaces with multiple retinal imaging cameras, giving the retinal group the flexibility to obtain images from stationary fundus cameras, handheld fundus cameras, and cameras mounted in mobile vans. “This allows for expanded access and multiple solutions depending on the environment in which the diabetic patient is evaluated by their primary care provider,” Dr. Johnson says.

HOW IT WORKS

IRIS has developed its products with chief medical officers and medical boards comprised of retinal physicians and ophthalmologists. “We help physicians managing large populations of diabetic patients get the outcomes they are looking to achieve,” Crawford says. “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Committee for Quality Assurance have identified diabetic retinal exams as a quality measure that primary care providers and endocrinologists are responsible for, because 95% of the time retinal surgeons have the necessary tools and therapies to maintain sight in these patients at a functional level. We are connecting patients that need therapy to the right providers at the right time.”

IRIS is a web-based system that is accessible on an FDA-cleared cloud. Retinal physicians can access images from any location and interpret them as they load onto the platform.

IRIS technology quickly detects potential abnormalities — indicating location, size, and type of pathology. Using a suite of pattern-matching detection algorithms, IRIS highlights these findings for extra attention by the screener, increasing human performance in a highly complex and critical application. Current sensitivity rates are 97% and algorithms are continuously being refined to increase their performance.

Healthcare providers receive reports via e-mail. They integrate with electronic medical record systems and include a comparison of normal retinal images and the enhanced images, findings, and conclusions generated by IRIS along with recommendations for continuing care if potential pathology exists. If a problem is detected, a referral is made to a highly qualified retina specialist in IRIS’ network.

“What has been difficult to do, we have made simple by providing the hardware and software to deliver very sophisticated diabetic retinal exams in the primary care setting,” Crawford concludes. RP