RetinaLyze ESB/Tele-medicine

Owned by Morten Kirk Guldager
Last updated: Sept 12, 2024
2 min read

v1.0.3

What is the ESB?

The Eye Specialist Backup module (ESB) gives you the opportunity to send a photo of your customer’s eye to an eye specialist. The eye specialist will examine every received photo and send a response directly in RetinaLyze. You can expect a response within 2 working days. 

As a point of departure, we give the following guidelines: 

  1. If the automated screening gives a green result there is no need to make use of the Eye Specialist Backup. If you notice something on the fundus photo yourself that raises doubt or questions, you are welcome to send the photo to RetinaLyze’s eye specialist. 

  2. If the automated screening gives a yellow result we encourage the customer to take another screening within 2-3 months. If the automate screening gives another yellow result the photo is to be sent to RetinaLyze’s eye specialist. 

  3. If the automated screening gives a red result we encourage that the photo is sent to RetinaLyze’s eye specialist. 

The response from the eye specialist will consist of a red, yellow or green evaluation, together with a comment. It will not be possible to correspond further with the eye specialist. Instead, the patient is urged to visit a physical eye specialist, when RetinaLyze’s eye specialist gives a yellow or red evaluation.  

How to use the Eye Specialist Backup module

To send a photo to an eye specialist and read the response do the following: 

  1. Run an analysis of the photo, as usual. 

  2. When the analysis is done you can click on the eye specialist icon beside the consultation date.

  3. Fill in the the necessary information and click on “Submit”. The Eye Specialist icon will now turn yellow. 

  4. When the eye specialist has responded the icon will turn green, and you will have the possibility of clicking on it and view the response to the right of the photo. 

The Eye Specialist Backup is an optional module that can be purchased and added to your RetinaLyze account. If you is not using the RetinaLyze ESB, you should cooperate with another telemedicine solution or local ophthalmologist. Please contact us, if you want this module activated on your license. 

What information is necessary to provide, when using the ESB?

The manual assessment provided by the eye-specialist is based solely on the information provided by the operator. To receive a well-educated assessment of a patient, please fill in as much relevant information as possible and make sure that the images themselves are of good quality.

The information form, used when requesting a manual assessment, consists of multiple fields pertaining the clients symptoms and information. The form will adapt based on the information filled out (e.g. more fields appear if the patient is diagnosed with diabetes).

Tips for a Good Referral

It is important to fill out relevant information in the eye specialist backup (ESB) form so that the assessing ophthalmologist can provide an accurate response and make a good referral further into the healthcare system.

Here are some good tips on what questions to ask and examinations to perform.

  1. Known Eye and General Diseases

    1. Particularly relevant diseases related to the eyes include: diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases (e.g., psoriasis, hypothyroidism, or rheumatoid arthritis) b. If the patient suffers from or there is suspicion of amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus, glaucoma/AMD, or other retinal disorders: Do other family members have the same condition?

  2. Prescription Medication Used by the Patient (if any)

  3. Any Complaints/Symptoms the Patient May Have That Cannot Be Corrected with Glasses/Contact Lenses

    1. Please also note how quickly the symptoms have appeared

  4. Visual Acuity/Visus and Visual Field by Hand

  5. Whether the Patient Is Already in (or Soon Has) a Consultation with an Ophthalmologist

  6. Are There Any Results on the Amsler Grid

    1. Particularly important for patients over 45 years old or when AMD is suspected

  1. If the patient is known to have or has been treated for eye diseases or general diseases

    Including if the patient has a family history of eye diseases or general diseases

  2. Regarding Visual Acuity/Visus

    1. If visual acuity is below 0.6, and this is not normal for the patient

    2. In case of a significant difference in visual acuity between the eyes, if this is not normal for the patient

    3. In cases of sudden drops in visual acuity and/or glasses prescription (within weeks or faster)

  3. For highly myopic patients (-6 and above)

  4. In cases of reduced central vision

    1. Complaints about "difficulty reading" or "recognizing people on the street"

    2. Complaints about "distortion" or "straight lines appearing crooked/bulged"

    3. Complaints about abnormal color vision (test with something very red, which typically appears brown with abnormal color vision)

    4. Complaints about "glare" or "light sensitivity"

    5. Any results on the Amsler grid

  5. In cases of reduced peripheral vision or blind spots in the visual field

    1. Complaints about "walking into door frames" or "seeing better with one eye than the other"

  6. In Case of Complaints About:

    1. Pain in/behind the eyes

    2. Pressure on the head/headache for an extended period

    3. Light flashes/floaters

    4. Flickering vision loss

    5. Sudden onset of permanent or temporary blindness

    6. Darkening of vision lasting seconds

    7. Double vision/blurring of vision

    8. Curtain sensation

    9. Sudden onset of unexplained symptoms

  7. Abnormal alignment/strabismus

    1. If one eye protrudes more than 2 mm compared to the other

    2. Lack of motility/freedom of movement of the eyes (strabismus)

  8. Abnormal pupils

    1. If pupils are not the same size and/or lack response to light

  9. Regarding IOP (Intraocular Pressure)

    1. If IOP is over 21 or a difference of more than 4 between the eyes.

  10. Yellow or Red Result from RetinaLyze

  1. What They Work With (can sometimes explain eye injuries)

  2. How the Eye Looks (externally)

  3. What Caused the Injury or Chemical Burn

    1. For example, blunt force trauma, stab with a sharp object, acid burn.

REMEMBER
Especially children and elderly people will often have difficulty describing their symptoms correctly.

Therefore, always take complaints and parents' observations seriously.

Need help? Get in touch with us via: https://www.retinalyze.com/contact