Ha - a camera to detect physiological measures from your face, diabetes and CVD in your eyes.
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This is one that makes sense - we’ve always known that the eye is the only place where one can actually see blood vessels and the damage wrought by hypertension and diabetes.
What was missing was an easy and repeatable way to do and record this over time - and to be able to compare the patient in front of you to ‘normal’. Also missing is a way to communicate this information to GPs, who are the ones well placed to help patients manage these common but vital chronic problems.
Anyone know of any progress in this area in NZ?
@robyn.whittaker knows about someone doing research in this space.
Thinking about bundling of some of this - there are a few connected use cases here I think.
Jon
Hi, have seen this NZ based group that looks to be doing a similar thing for diabetic retinopathy, and CVD risk factors.
Don’t know anything about them aside from what is on the website.
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So yes, the AI in me who has a secret passion for eye health thinks this is amazing. The question is why would this technology address racially-based health inequities around cardiovascular health? We know in Aotearoa that Maori find it harder to get GP appointments, are less likely to be screened for diabetes before the development of complications and are less likely to be seen in eye clinics for the slit lamp examination. So while this approach to digital health will further improve the outcome for some (and yah for them) it will not address the big picture of unmet needs in indigenous peoples or from a pop health perspective.
Improving the reliability and validity of a point-of-care measurement of HbA1c would make more sense from an equity, social justice and health economics perspective.
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Excellent points Greig - I think the big question is can you make capture of these images faster/easier/more accessible - the algorithm is cream…
Jon