A new cloud-based solution designed to improve data sharing in eye care was showcased by Zeiss at 100% Optical, highlighting how optometry practices may soon collaborate more efficiently across networks.
Collaborative Care, launched this year, is one of the first applications to reside on a Zeiss cloud-based health data system, the company told OT.
David Harry, head of digital solutions at Zeiss, explained that Collaborative Care responds to growing demand from practitioners for a more flexible, device-agnostic solution that works with Zeiss and non-Zeiss equipment.
“The ability to effectively merge all the equipment in a practice and share that data is really what our customers are looking for,” Harry highlighted.
The system builds on the success of Forum, a widely used on-premises ophthalmology platform, by enabling secure data sharing beyond a single practice network.
Explaining Collaborative Care to OT, Harry described that practitioners can select patient records, attach diagnostic images, and share them externally, either through referral or consultation pathways.
The consult features allow the sender to send anonymised patient data to a recipient, or, in entering a shared care agreement, a full referral can be sent within established frameworks, such as the NHS. Recipients receive notifications, can access and annotate images, including optical coherence tomography scans and visual fields, and can download files into their own systems.
Harry shared that the platform also introduces a connectivity module for practitioners with a subscription which comes with a built-in electronic medical record functionality, supporting integration with existing, legacy, and third-party systems.
Practitioners do not need to subscribe to view shared data, although a subscription is required for full integration into their practice management systems and downloads, he added.
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