Digital Health For Providers
Did you know that only about 55% of people with diabetes get an annual eye exam even though they have been properly referred by their primary care provider?
High quality retinal imaging qualifies as a diabetic retinal screening exam and can greatly increase compliance amongst your patients. Please note though that retinal imaging does not replace a comprehensive exam.
EyePACS is a Level 3 American Telemedicine Association-approved screening program, which means it has been validated scientifically for the grading of diabetic retinopathy. Level 1 and 2 programs are not validated scientifically.
Equipment
Not all retinal imaging equipment performs at a high enough level. Hand-held retinal cameras, in particular, do not reliably provide the image quality necessary. Beware that the marketing for these devices is aggressive. Feel free to contact us if you’d like more detailed information.
Conditions Identified During Screening
Although our program focuses on Diabetic Retinopathy, other referrable eye conditions can be identified. Some common ones include:
- Hypertensive retinopathy
- Vascular Occlusion
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Macular Degeneration
For further information on these conditions — and other helpful reading on diabetic retinopathy — please download “Diabetic Retinopathy: A Primer for Health Care Professionals.”
Timing of Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
As you know, The American Diabetes Association releases a statement every year regarding the management of the patients with diabetes. It is important, however, to recognize that the statement:
- Applies to all patients with diabetes as a whole, and does not focus on high-risk populations (socioeconomically disadvantaged).
- Focuses on the avoidance of sight-threatening retinopathy. However, any signs of retinopathy can be helpful in the management of the patient, because it is one of the earliest signs of end-organ damage in DM.
For these reasons we recommend patients be screened annually for Diabetic Retinopathy.
EMR Integration
The EyePACS system seamlessly connects to many popular electronic medical record (EMR) or other information systems via standards-compliant, bidirectional, secure, scalable and robust interfaces.
Clinic Locations
Click on the map below to see the location of all of our clinic partners.
Contact Us
Feel free to contact us if you’d like more detailed information and for guidance in retinal camera selection and purchase.
Digital Health Clinic
Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science
200 Minor Addition
UC Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
Clinic Chief
Harry Green, OD, PhD, FAAO
Associate Clinical Professor