L-R: Jack Hawkins of Mainline Instruments, Stuart Burn of Performance Finance, Karl Jeebaun and Jeff Landucci of AOS
Optical Supplier Association (OSA) members were updated about NHS DICOM progress and the new Digital Eye Care Alliance (DECA) at the latest meeting on March 20 in Euston, London.
OSA E-Health focus group leads Karl Jeebaun and Stephanie Campbell discussed the national eyecare transformation project’s goal to bring parties together to forge the future eyecare pathway.
‘Our aim is to get innovative technologies faster to the market, and by working together we can produce a unified solution around interoperability as a first step. There is genuine interest to collaborate for the best outcomes, and this makes the task a lot easier,’ said Jeebaun.
Interested parties were focusing on three key elements: patient data, images and clinical data and as part of the drive the OSA was sponsoring a White Paper on remote-measuring and monitoring devices.
Campbell asserted the need for raised standards and a level playing field of output from devices and discussed the potential for ‘vision passports’ to enable earlier diagnosis and monitoring.
‘Clinical data works better together – we know that 50% of sight loss could be prevented by earlier detection,’ she said.
A 100% Optical report compiled by Media 10 revealed the desire to bring optometry and ophthalmology closer together, while members also heard about opportunities to bring more education to the 2025 show. A ‘Book a meeting’ tool was also highlighted to encourage attendance and engagement prior to the event.
Further updates were provided about UK and European legislation, the potential for the Green Charter to help businesses with sustainability, Hoya’s environmental direction and the OSA’s ongoing review of courier services.