A new resource for eyecare practitioners is in the works. As announced in a press release, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has started an initiative to “implement the nation’s first comprehensive eye disease patient database.” This effort is expected to create what David W. Parke II, M.D., CEO of the AAO calls “a fantastically powerful tool that will stimulate improved quality of eye care,” particularly for patients that have received medical or surgical care for issues causing vision loss.

The database, called the IRIS (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry will be a central location for data collection and will provide ophthalmologists with a system that promotes practice innovation and achievement of clinical excellence. Some of the significant features of the IRIS Registry include the following:

• Benchmark reports that are easy to read and help validate the quality of care a practitioner is providing, as well as areas in need of improvement
• Access to clinical data relevant to eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts, among others
• Automatic data collection via electronic health records

According to the AAO, these features will be instrumental in helping practitioners “develop a strategic plan for improving patient outcomes.”

William L. Rich III, M.D., Medical Director of Health Policy for the AAO, shares that in addition to improving outcomes for patients, the IRIS Registry will also shorten “the timeline for the dissemination of important clinical knowledge, research and results of drug and device surveillance.”

Optos is excited to see such a wonderful resource in the works and even more so, to be a part of the database. We are working to provide ultra-widefield images of various eye diseases, captured with our optomap devices, which will serve as a beneficial reference point for practitioners in need of image examples of specific diagnoses.

Optos is working to provide clinically relevant information in the form optomap images, such as this image displaying AMD Dry Asymmetric Optic Disc Cupping ResMax®, to the AAO’s eye disease database.

The IRIS Registry is planned to launch early next year to all practicing U.S.-based ophthalmologists. For more information, visit the AAO website.