Nonprofit healthcare system UMass Memorial Health (UMMH) has integrated AEYE Health's AI-based AEYE-DS autonomous diagnostic screening solution for diabetic eye care into its electronic medical records (EMR) system.
This integration aims to improve diabetic eye care by streamlining the screening process, reducing wait times for ophthalmology, and enhancing adherence rates and quality metrics.
Late James Ledwith, a family medicine physician at UMass Memorial Health, played a role in establishing the partnership between UMass Memorial Health and AEYE Health.
AEYE Health co-founder and CEO Zack Dvey-Aharon said: "Our partnership with UMass Memorial Health has been transformative. By integrating AEYE-DS into their primary care workflow - including via the clinic's EMR - we're not only improving patient outcomes but also driving operational efficiencies.
“Dr Ledwith's vision and leadership played a crucial role in this success, and we are honoured to continue advancing diabetic eye care in his memory."
Within four months of implementing AEYE-DS, UMMH witnessed diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening adherence increase from 29% to nearly half.
The integration of the screening solution into UMMH's primary care workflow reduced the average screening time by 75%, with the process now taking only one to two minutes.
This has facilitated immediate diagnosis and real-time discussions between primary care providers and patients, emphasising the significance of retinal health and blood glucose management.
Reimbursement for the AI exam was possible under CPT 92229, with a high approval rate for claims.
This increase in patient adherence has led to improvements in quality measures, such as enhanced HEDIS performance.
UMass Memorial Ledwith Family and Community Medicine chair M Diane McKee said: "This technology has already led to both greater patient convenience and improved rates of retinopathy screening. We look forward to expanding the use of AEYE-DS in more practices."
The integration also allowed staff to initiate screenings directly from the EMR and provide immediate results at the time of review during patient visits.
