Intelligent eyecare report set to put consumers in control of their ocular and general health

Thu, Dec 11, 2014 11:04 CET

Edinburgh, UK - A web-based service offering digital reporting on eye health from anywhere in the world across multiple devices is being rolled out by the UK’s leading refractive surgery provider, Optical Express.

The design and development of iScan was a two year process carried out in-house by the Optical Express IT Development Team.

A £12million investment to upgrade the company’s entire IT infrastructure was required to facilitate the collection, transfer and storage of the vast volumes of data generated by the system.

Telemedicine is increasingly perceived by employers and the government as a means to manage soaring public sector health costs for an ageing population. In conjunction with big data it is increasingly being used to provide early diagnosis of medical conditions currently costing the NHS billions of pounds to manage.

The new iScan platform is aimed at using these models to drive forward patient care standards, and is hosted on the cloud to allow opticians and clinicians to automatically transmit patient data through a wireless connection to a secure server rather than being held on-site in clinics.

The report it produces, which incorporates a 3D map of the outer window and inner eye and eye health details that are not typically part of a written eye prescription, will be issued electronically after patients attend a consultation.

Technical highlights include:

Within seconds of completion all results from an eye examination and medical images can be collated and sent to the patient via the specially designed web and integration services
Multi-platform programming – can be run from a PC or Tablet
Machine integration – seamlessly integrates a range of medical devices with in-house clinical software
Built on a massive network upgrade project, replacing all store side connections with secure monitored MPLS connections
Infrastructure upgraded with Cisco Switches deployed across the entire estate
New HP Multi-Site SAN storage deployed utilising failover and snapshot technology for redundancy

The breakthrough digital eye service was successfully piloted at selected locations, but is now supported by 140 advanced eye care centres of across the UK and Ireland.

David Moulsdale, Chairman and CEO of Optical Express commented: “We are excited about being able to put patients in control, giving them remote, 24/7 access to their eye care report via multiple devices.

“By combining our vast in-house ocular health knowledge with our five million patient records, we have been able to develop an innovative engine that forensically maps eye health changes over time.

“The eye health patterns iScan monitors will track vital information about ocular and general health and include screening for diseases which, if left undiagnosed, can cause severe vision loss such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. It will inform patients of any treatment required, but also serve as an early detection system for life-threatening conditions such as diabetes and brain tumours.

“It was a significant challenge to implement from a technical point of view, but we believe it was worth it and that iScan will set new clinical standards throughout the optical sector.”

iScan is already being piloted and is set to be officially launched in January, it will then be rolled out to Optical Express clinics across Europe.

Notes to Editors:

For further information or images regarding Optical Express please contact Matthew Kaye via press@kudos-pr.co.uk or call 0113 246 0183.

About Optical Express:

The Optical Express Group was founded in 1991 and is now a global leader of selected healthcare services. Optical Express is a world leading provider of refractive surgery with its surgeons having carried out over 2 million procedures worldwide.

In order to ensure Optical Express is consistently providing the highest possible standard of care, the company has the expertise of their International Medical Advisory board, a collective of skilled and distinguished members of the international ophthalmic community who determine procedures and policies at Optical Express. This resource pool is unique to Optical Express.

The company employs over 2,000 people, utilising ophthalmologists and optometrists across more than 170 locations throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Croatia, Germany and The Netherlands.

Main Website: http://www.opticalexpress.co.uk/

Optical Express Magazine site: http://www.opticalexpressmagazine.co.uk/

Read how Optical Express Changed My Life: http://opticalexpresschangedmylife.co.uk/