How we help your practice - Ophthalmology

Retasure® is a comprehensive retinal risk assessment programme using technologies based on the approved National Screening Committee specifications and connecting for health initiative. The UK systematic screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy uses Digital Healthcare’s OptoMize software technology. Retasure® takes this to a new level by providing software that connects all of the healthcare providers involved in the assessment and management of retinal risk in a fully validated and automated workflow.

This technology makes sense of a mountain of disconnected data to provide better care, better support and better outcomes for patients.

Patients at risk can enter the system either through inbound referral from their GP to a local Retasure® Optometrist, or directly to the Optometrist. High resolution imaging data are collected together with basic clinical risk assessment data such as acuity, IOP, and fields. The Optometrist is able to make a preliminary determination and the resulting data are transmitted to one of our accredited Clinical Assessment Centres. A systematic recording and reporting system is used at the Clinical Assessment Centre and the data are transmitted back to the referring Optometrist. The images and data are published to a secure web portal for access by the patient's GP and the Ophthalmology department. This approach means that the patient receives a very high level of care from their Optometrist, the GP is kept fully informed and the Ophthalmologist is able to review critical information before any patient visit.

The concept of automated patient pathway management was pioneered by Digital Healthcare for managing very large scale screening systems within clear clinical guidelines. Over one million patients every year are screened with Digital Healthcare software technologies. Retasure® introduces a professional service for patients covering a wider range of pathologies and risk factors. It is designed to reduce pressure on inbound referrals and help prioritize patients that may need urgent care.

Service features

• High resolution digital fundoscopy performed in the community provides a valuable source of information for triaging patients with vision threatening conditions. Digital Healthcare has developed Retasure® to meet and surpass the exacting clinical standards required in modern diagnostic ophthalmology.
• Images are taken using extremely high resolution digital cameras according to UK national guidelines, the patient may or may not be dilated and our ophthalmology reading centres will report on image accessibility and quality in all cases.
• Images are taken using internationally accepted standards. At minimum a 45 degree field of view showing the Optic Nerve Head and the Macular, in some cases multiple images are taken to show other clinical detail. The resolution is more than sufficient to show Microaneurysms as the minimum resolvable pathology.
• Standardized reporting is used to make clinical interpretation clear and repeatable. All images are quantitatively assessed and the report is based on Retinopathy, Maculopathy and other observable eye conditions and indicators of pathology.
• For Diabetic Retinopathy our Clinical Assessment Centres use ETDRS methodologies. For other pathologies we follow the appropriate standard reporting guidelines. In specific cases the reading Ophthalmologist may include free text in the grading forms.
• Retasure® allows the clinical specialist to send private notes to the Ophthalmologist and primary care provider (such as the high street Optometrist).
• Retasure® provides a web access portal to allow GPs and Ophthalmologists direct access to the raw image data as well as the clinical interpretation.
• Retasure® helps reduce waiting times and improve patient access to scarce clinical resources based on clinical need and judgment.
• Retasure® can minimize the incidence of unnecessary ophthalmology referrals and thus reduce the cost burden on primary care trusts.
• Retasure® is a fast, accurate and reliable method of triaging patients where the local Ophthalmologist and their team can decide on the proper course of action based on high quality images and interpretation.
• Retasure® makes it possible for local ophthalmology to be better connected to GPs and local primary eye care providers.
• Retasure® interfaces directly to Digital Healthcares’ OcuLab clinical ophthalmology enterprise scale system.