SPONSORED: Baxter
The Welch Allyn RetinaVue care delivery model aims to make retinal exams more accessible by bringing it into primary care and other points of care.
For the nearly 40 million Americans living with diabetes, an annual eye exam can play a critical role in protecting vision. Yet fewer than half of patients may be following that recommendation due to geographic barriers, access limitations or competing priorities.
“It’s a huge problem,” says John Prior, senior manager of commercial marketing, RetinaVue at Baxter, who spoke with Repertoire Publisher Scott Adams about detecting diabetic retinopathy.
The stakes are high because diabetic retinopathy can progress without noticeable symptoms until significant, potentially irreversible damage has occurred. Prior discusses how making retinal exams more accessible in the practice setting can support early detection, timely intervention and better patient outcomes.
1. Early detection can prevent devastating outcomes
Diabetic retinopathy can progress significantly before a patient experiences symptoms, making regular screening critical. Prior notes that the condition is the leading cause of adult blindness, with about 25,000 Americans going blind from diabetic retinopathy each year. “The data says it’s 95% preventable with early detection and treatment,” Prior says. Retinal exams can identify patients who need referral to an ophthalmologist or retinal specialist before the disease progresses to more serious stages requiring injections, laser therapy or surgery.
2. Bringing exams into primary care can improve access
While other diabetes-related care measures, such as A1C testing and foot exams, typically have high compliance rates, retinal exams may have less than 60% compliance because patients traditionally must visit another provider. “That’s why bringing this technology into the primary care setting is so important,” Prior says. Exams during a routine visit can make it easier for patients with multiple appointments and competing health priorities to receive needed eye care.
3. The model is more than a camera
The RetinaVue solution is designed as a complete care delivery model rather than simply a diagnostic device. The handheld camera is paired with secure network software and a nationwide network of state-licensed, board-certified eye specialists who interpret the images. Results are typically returned within four to six hours and integrated into the patient’s EMR. The portable model can also move between exam rooms and into mobile, home and community settings. “It’s more than that,” Prior says, emphasizing the broader resources available for implementation, training, technical support and ongoing customer success.
By bringing retinal exams into primary care and other points of care, the goal is to remove barriers and detect disease before it can cause irreversible damage. As Prior puts it, “How do we bring this technology from the specialty of ophthalmology to where the patient is? That’s really what these solutions are all about.”