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The American Optometric Association And Digital Healthcare, Inc. Sign Memorandum Of Understanding

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 20 Nov 2009

The American Optometric Association (AOA) and Digital Healthcare, Inc. (DH) have joined together to assist optometrists in providing better care for patients with diabetes and other chronic diseases, and in promoting public health. Both parties recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The cooperative relationship will facilitate the development of a range of programs and initiatives to ensure the medically underserved and uninsured have access to comprehensive vision and eye health services. One project the organizations plan to work towards is the development of vision and eye health information technology (HIT) systems to benefit at risk patients.

Digital Healthcare's RetasureTM tool helps optometrists extend their reach to primary care physicians and endocrinologists in their community. As an example, optometrists can benefit from DH tools by providing reimbursable image interpretation services to local primary care physicians, thus becoming more directly connected to their patients in the primary care setting. Retinal images, taken in the primary care setting and shared with local optometrists, allow ODs to triage patients into appropriate care. DH will also help optometrists more efficiently refer patients with advanced surgical needs to related specialists and provide additional opportunities for post surgical care.

The AOA/DH program will provide local optometrists the opportunity to invest and combine their expertise and place DH tools in primary care settings to further extend the reach of optometry to high risk individuals.

The AOA and DH will collaborate through a variety of technology deployments in an array of care settings (primary care offices, endocrinology offices, university residency programs, community-based health systems, integrated delivery networks) to facilitate improved communication and coordination between optometrists and primary care physicians to enhance community-based diabetes team care.

"The technology will benefit optometrists and their patients by offering a more coordinated approach to health care," said Randolph E. Brooks, AOA president. "We will also be working on delivering a variety of technology advancements in a diversity of health care settings - from private practices to community-based health care systems - facilitating both better delivery of eye care, and improved communication and coordination between optometrists and primary care physicians."

"DH provides excellent tools that facilitate communication which can enhance community-based, patient-centered diabetes care," said Dr. Michael Fleming, past president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

For optometrists interested in becoming a part of this collaboration, the AOA and DH have developed a deployment program through a toll-free number (866-539-4213) and through http://www.retasure.com.

Source
American Optometric Association (AOA)
Digital Healthcare, Inc.

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