Diabetic Retinopathy Screening with EyePACS: Preventing Diabetic Blindness with Telemedicine

Preventing Diabetic Blindness with EyePACS.
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working age adults in the United States. Early detection and treatment of sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy (DR) can prevent blinding complications, but nearly half of all diabetics do not receive timely eye examinations. The UC Berkeley Optometric Eye Center has developed EyePACS, a store‐and‐forward clinical communication system that has been used successfully for DR screening in diverse clinical settings. By providing near real‐time interpretation of retinal images, clinicians at UC Berkeley specifically trained in diabetic retinopathy detection can provide:
-- Detection and referral of patients with sight‐threatening DR at the time of their primary care visit;
-- Training, certification, and quality assurance for retinal reading; and
-- Education for patients about their condition.
This program has created a network of diabetic retinopathy screening sites in existing primary care clinics throughout California.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• diabetes
• telemedicine
• retinopathy
• ophthalmology
• optometry