In partnership with the NGO Retina Global, doctors plan to perform digital retinal exams and retinal mapping in more than 15 thousand diabetic patients in the countryside of Sergipe.
Last year, the NGO Retina Global was interested in developing a social project to diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy in Brazil. The North-American institution acts to create sustainable solutions in controlling retinal diseases in poor areas all over the world.
Thus, the partnership with the ophthalmologists Fernando Malerbi and Gustavo Melo gave birth to “Iluminar”, a project to track and treat diabetic retinopathy in 13 municipalities in the backlands of Sergipe. The group chose the region for its history of poorness related to drought and lack of ophthalmological assistance in public health.
Up to now, more than 700 people have undergone retinal exams in the cities of Itabi, Graccho Cardoso and Canindé de São Francisco. “Approximately 150 patients have been submitted to a new retinal mapping exam with the team of retinologists on site. From those, 50 were sent to laser photocoagulation treatment”, highlights one of the project leaders, ophthalmologist Gustavo Melo.
The joint efforts count on two healthcare technicians, around ten workers from Basic Healthcare Units (UBS) from each municipality and four volunteer ophthalmologists, part of them sending remote reports.
Retinal images are made with Phelcom Eyer smartdevice. Coupled to a smartphone, the equipment carries out high quality exams, in a few minutes without need of pupil dilation. Integrated to a cloud system, it makes data available automatically in EyerCloud online platform. This way, a doctor can generate a report from anywhere in the world.
“Eyer allows optimizing time and costs by tracking the diabetic population in the countryside so that they do not need to move to the cities that have equipment and specialists. Non-midriasis is another advantage, since 90% of the cases do not need to dilate the pupil”, explains Melo.
The smart device also offers the joint efforts of an artificial intelligence that identifies diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases with more than 95% sensitivity in just three seconds. After that, the exam is sent to the ophthalmologist for checking and reporting. The AI is at the final test stage.
Next Stage
This month, the Project will be at Poço Redondo. It aims to provide care for 15 thousand diabetic patients in 13 cities in Sergipe, in a period of two years.
“The great differential is optimization of time, essential for early diagnosis, so that chances of diabetes-related blindness lower considerably. Raising awareness of both the population and public managers about the efficiency and lower cost of this way of tracking diabetic retinopathy may stimulate the creation of health policies to treat this disease and others that affect the retina”, analyzes Melo.
Known as a reference in innovation, the country has one of the most challenging regulatory processes for foreign technologies in the world. The handheld fundus camera, developed and produced by Phelcom Technologies, is now commercialized in five countries.
Phelcom Technologies has conquered one more international market. Now, Japan took its turn to receive Eyer, a non-mydriatic handheld fundus camera, coupled to a smartphone, that carries out high-quality retinal exams in a few minutes.
“We are very proud to have our equipment sold in a country known as a reference in technology and innovation”, states the company CEO, José Augusto Stuchi.
The Japanese regulatory process for entrance of foreign technologies is considered one of the most challenging in the world. This is due to the various players accessed in the procedure, such as DMAH – Designated Marketing Authorization Holder (legal representative), RCB (Regional Certifying Body), PMDA (regulatory agency); as well as specific certification workflows for each product class. The language barrier was another difficulty, since the whole reference documentation was in Japanese.
José Roberto Santiciolli Filho, Product Development coordinator at Phelcom Technologies, explains that the certification process started by the end of 2021, when the company was approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) as a Foreign Manufacturer. All the manufacturing infrastructure and the Quality Management system were evaluated by then.
“After that, we developed a technical dossier of the product, according to PDMA standards, and submitted all the technical and quality documentation to a third-party unbiased evaluation to receive the certificate”, explains Santiciolli.
During this process, Phelcom counted on the support and partnership of Allm Inc., an investor based in Japan, for interlocution with local agents. Last November, Eyer received the medical device certification no. 304AIBZI00005000.
Eyer in the USA, Colombia and Chile
More than Brazil and Japan, Eyer is present in Chile, Colombia and the United States – where Phelcom also has an office in Boston. “This new unit confirms the internationalization movement of the company, started a year ago, and shall support the offer of equipment in the North-American market”, observes Stuchi.
The CEO highlights that physical presence in the United States confirms Phelcom’s availability to work for making eye exams simpler, connected and intelligent, without borders. “In 2022, we took part, as expositors, of the main ophthalmology congresses of the United States, as the American Society of Retina Specialists Annual Meeting, in New York, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, based at Chicago. American professionals have accepted Eyer very positively”, states Stuchi.
In March 2023, the company has also been at Vison Expo East, a commercial exposition in New York. This month, it is taking part of ARVO (April 23 to 27), in New Orleans, and ASCRS (May 5 to 8), in San Diego.
For Stuchi, being a Brazilian company which operates in important markets worldwide is a pride and great responsibility to Phelcom. “It is certain that internationalization widens our potential to act. However, it also increases our commitment to offering excellent quality products that really contribute to the professional practice”, he complements.
Phelcom Eyer
Phelcom Eyer is a handheld fundus camera that works coupled to a smartphone and carries out high-quality retina exams, in a few minutes, without need of pupil dilation.
The technology supports the diagnosis of over 50 diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, DMRI, retinoblastoma, hypertensive retinopathy and ocular toxoplasmosis. Currently, more than 10 million exams have been made in Brazil, United States, Chile and Colombia. The portability and the more accessible value of the technology democratize the access to retinal exams. Because it costs approximately six times less than a conventional tabletop fundus camera, which still needs to be integrated into a computer.
About Phelcom
Phelcom Technologies is a Brazilian medtech, headquartered in São Carlos, São Paulo. Its history started in 2016, when three young researchers – a physicist, an electric engineer and a computing engineer (PHysics, ELetronics, COMputing) – created a handheld fundus camera based in technology embedded in a smartphone.The interest of Diego Lencione, a company partner, on visual health gave birth to the first equipment project. His brother has a condition that severely compromised his retina and vision since childhood.
In 2018, Phelcom launched its first product in the market: Eyer handheld fundus camera. Nowadays, the technology has already reached more than 1.2 million people all over Brazil and other countries where it is present.
Ophthalmologist Balamurali Krishna Ambati, known as “Bala” Ambati, is the youngest doctor in the world, according to the Guiness Book of Records. At the age of 17, he graduated in medicine in Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York (USA), in 1995.
After that, he did residency in ophthalmology at Harvard University, where he developed strategies to reverse corneal angiogenesis. Since then, he has helped various non-profit organizations all over the world, such as ORBIS – Cooperation and Development and Sight for the Sightless, which acts to combat blindness in the Indian countryside.
He received various important awards for his work, such as the Gold Humanism Award and the Troutman-Veronneau Prize. Nowadays, he leads the clinic Pacific Clear Vision Institute, in Eugene, in the state of Oregon (USA).
For six months, the ophthalmologist has been using the Eyer Portable Fundus Camera in the clinic, on a daily basis. The technology works coupled to a smartphone, to carry out high-quality retinal exams in a few minutes, without need of pupil dilation.
“We acquired the Phelcom Eyer camera about 6 months ago and have been incredibly pleased with it. Its image quality, easy to use and easy to learn form factor, panoramic image stitching, and heat maps make photo acquisition and image transfer to the EMR seamless”, highlights Ambati.
The doctor remarks that using the equipment does not break the clinic workflow and points out the capacity to acquire images through a 2,5mm-wide pupil as “impressive”.
Furthermore, the ease of taking photos and making the documentation simplifies the doctors’ work. The exams are automatically sent to EyerCloud, a platform for remote diagnosis.
Another pro from Eyer is its portability: one can handle it manually or stabilize it on a slit lamp.
The patient becomes more engaged in the treatment, according to Ambati
As it makes device imaging available in real time, Ambati says the patients appreciate the chance to learn about their condition and what goes on with their retinas.
The ophthalmologist tells that both them and the medical team were impressed by the way the heat maps of retinal elevation reveal the pathology. “It is a factor that motivates patients to be involved with the treatment and take diabetes or DMRI seriously”, he says.
Phelcom Eyer
Phelcom Eyer is a portable fundus camera that works coupled to a smartphone and carries out high-quality retina exams, in a few minutes and without the need of pupil dilation.
The technology can identify more than 50 diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, DMRI, retinoblastoma, hypertensive retinopathy and ocular toxoplasmosis. Currently, more than 10 million exams have already been carried out.
The device integrates to an online platform, Eyer Cloud, to which data is sent automatically. A specialist can analyze them remotely from anywhere in the world.
More than that, the embedded artificial intelligence provides intelligent functions to help the medical diagnosis and the capture of retinal exams. On the other hand, portability and the technology lower prices democratize the access to retina exams.
Phelcom Technologies
Eyer is developed by Phelcom Technologies, a startup that invests in innovation and technology to democratize visual health. The company is headquartered in São Carlos-SP, Brazil and has an operation in Boston, USA.
Launched in April 2019, the technology has already reached more than 1,2 million people all over Brazil and in countries such as the United States, Chile, Japan and Colombia.
The startup creates portable devices with embedded artificial intelligence, for immediate diagnoses. It aims to revert the fact that 75% of the 250 million cases of blindness or severe visual deficiency happen due to lack of prevention or wrong treatment.
Brazil, United States, Chile, Colombia and, now, Japan. Eyer portable fundus camera, developed and produced by Phelcom, has just been approved in the country.
The Japanese regulatory process for entry of foreign technologies is considered one of the most challenging in the world. This is due to the various players accessed during the procedure, such as the DMAH – Designated Marketing Authorization Holder (legal representative), RCB (third-party certification organization), Foreigner Manufacturer and PMDA (regulatory agency), besides the specific certification flows for each product class. The language barrier was another difficulty, since all the reference documentation was in Japanese.
José Roberto Santiciolli Filho, coordinator of Product Development in Phelcom Technologies, explains that the certification process started in the end of 2021, when the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved the company as a Foreign Manufacturer. At this stage, all the manufacturing infrastructure and Quality Management system were evaluated.
“After that, we developed the technical dossier of the product, according to PMDA standards and submitted all the technical and quality documentation to third-party impartial evaluation, for then receiving the certificate”, explains Santiciolli.
During the certification process, Phelcom counted on the support of its investor, Allm Inc., headquartered in Japan, for interlocution with local agents. In November this year, Eyer received the medical device certification with the number 304AIBZI00005000.
Phelcom Eyer
Phelcom Eyer is a handheld fundus camera that works coupled to a smartphone. It carries out high-quality fundus exams in a few minutes, without the need of pupil dilation.
Integrated to an online platform, EyerCloud, data are automatically sent and can be analyzed by a specialist from anywhere in the world. That is, it makes remote diagnosis possible.
More than that, the embedded artificial intelligence provides intelligent functions to help medical diagnosis and capture of retinal exams. On the other hand, the portable technology of accessible value democratizes the access to retinal exams. The device is around six times cheaper than a conventional tabletop fundus camera, which still demands integration to a computer.
Learn about the advantages:
CONNECTIVITY
The device is naturally connected, since it is attached to the smartphone. Therefore, it eases cloud sharing and access of exam data in the Eyer Cloud system.
NON-MYDRIATIC
Eyer allows to carry out retinal exams anywhere, without needing eye drops for pupil dilation. Thus, the patient feels more comfortable and the exam is faster.
LOW COST
Portability and reduced size grant Eyer a lower cost in relation to traditional fundus cameras. Even with the cutting-edge technology applied in the device production.
Currently, more than 1.2 million people have been examined and around 10 million exams were carried out in Brazil, United States, Chile and Colombia.
Eyer is also in the certification process in Mexico. Furthermore, a new Phelcom product is being approved in Brazil and in the United States.
“The favorable result of the process in Japan demonstrates we are on the right track to democratize access to ophthalmology. We are very happy to make available to one more country an innovative solution that will make a difference in the struggle against blindness in the world”, highlights Santiciolli.
Retina Global is an international, non-profit organization that seeks to enable sustainable solutions for the care of retinal diseases in underserved areas around the world.
Currently, the institution has projects in Central and South America and in Asia. It has already implemented programs in Tanzania, Kenya, Bolivia, Belize, Bahamas, Burundi, Ethiopia, Haiti and Brazil.
The NGO, in partnership with the project Iluminar, tracked and treated diabetic retinopathy in 13 municipalities in Sergipe hinterlands.
The team used the Phelcom Eyer, a smart, medical device, to carry out high-quality retinal exams (without having to dilate pupils) and make images available for remote diagnosis.
Recently, the organization has used the equipment again to track retinal diseases in Kericho, a town in rural Kenya, Africa.
Learn more about the project of Retina Global in Kenya, with the support of Eyer.
Retina Global in Kenya
For two days, the volunteer team from Retina Global made an initial evaluation, and then referred the patients for fundus exams with Eyer. Both the images and patients’ histories were
immediately available in the Eyer Cloud online platform.
Specialists in retina, based in the United States, made the reports. In total, 26 people were found to have retinal abnormalities, including a child and one young adult. “With that, we could diagnose quickly and start early treatment”, said the leader of Retina Global project in Kenya, Diane Steinhilber.
“We will keep using the equipment to identify and select the patients in need of specialized retinal care”, she highlights.
Lack of access to eye health
Steinhilber explains that the great challenge of this project is the lack of a retina specialist in this rural area of Kenya. Patients who need specialized treatment are referred to hospitals in Nairobi, the country’s capital, which is located roughly five hours away.
“To see a doctor, they face an arduous and long trip, as well as the time away from their jobs and families. Screening through Eyer allows us to quickly refer patients that are in real need of care in specialized centers”, she states.
As some patients have difficulties to get to the hospital, the project plans to send a trained team on community missions. Moreover, the project searches for a portable machine for laser treatment, as well as tools to carry out other kinds of therapies, such as intraocular injections and surgeries.
“Our team evaluated in detail the best way to implement a project that is able to provide exams and information on retinal care and also one that is sustainable in the long-term”, she says. Therefore, the project in Kenya was divided in phases to be implemented over five years.
Eyer use in Kenya
Retina Global team in Kenya took part on a remote training to learn how to handle the technology. “Eyer is extremely easy to handle. It is possible to promptly identify the images, quickly create patient database and send the photos to the doctor in the United States for review and reporting”, she says.
The project leader also highlights another advantage of Eyer: it not only has data for patient follow-up and continuous care, but also is a way to obtain information on the prevalence of retinal diseases in the region.
“Without Eyer, Retina Global would not have even started in Kenya. Further than using it in more local communities, we plan to include it in other projects to take place around the world”, she finishes.
Phelcom Eyer
Phelcom Eyer is a portable fundus camera that works to carry out high-quality fundus exams in a few minutes without the need of pupil dilation.
Integrated to an online platform, Eyer Cloud, the data is automatically sent and can be analyzed by a specialist anywhere in the world. That is, it allows remote diagnosis.
More than that, its embedded artificial intelligence provides smart features to help medical diagnosis and the capture of retinal scans. On the other hand, the portability and affordability of the technology democratize the access to retinal exams. The Eyer is about 10 times more affordable than a desktop fundus camera, which still has to be integrated into a computer.
Phelcom Technologies developed the technology, which is currently present all over Brazil and in countries such as the United States, Japan and Chile.
Google ads for doctors is a tool that helps you bring new patients to your office. We all know that people search on Google for what to do, where to go, what to buy and even which doctor to choose. This resource allows your ad to be shown exactly when someone is looking for services as yours.Thus, you can increase site visits, appointments and, consequently, the number of patients. But, how to attract more customers with Google ads for doctors? Learn how to in this article.
Google ADS for doctors: how it works
Google Ads is a Google Ads platform. It allows you to create online ads with sponsored links, which will appear to the user according to the search keywords.By this, your advertising may appear on YouTube videos, in Google search engine, on sites related to your area of activity, applications, etc. All depends on the strategy your team sets.The position of your ad on Google will depend on three factors: the relevance of the keyword to the subject searched, as well as the quality of the ad and the landing page; the maximum CPC (cost per click) bid, a comparison of the advertiser with the highest value per click; and the Ad rank, an average value between the previous two.The tool also delivers the metrics of the carried out campaigns. This way you can evaluate the number of impressions and ad clicks, as well as identify the users who clicked. Thus, it allows you to find out which type of ad performed best and better control the return on your online investments.By the way, the charge for the ad only occurs when you receive clicks. In addition, you can also limit the amount spent for each click received.
Google ADS for doctors: how it works
Check a step-by-step guide to create online campaigns with Google ADS:1.Set the target audienceWhich patients do you want to attract? Information such as age, job, location, level of education and income help create your target audience.2.Create the personasPersonas are ideal, detailed profiles of the patient you want to attract. In addition to the information above, one must analyze lifestyle, habits, behaviors, frustrations, difficulties, leisure, etc.3. Create the campaignWith personas in hand, you can define which type of media is most consumed and make ads there. Example: blogs and YouTube.4. Choose keywordsThis step is critical for your ad to appear or not to your persona. Here, you need to define the keywords that are most related to your specialty and that should draw the attention of your potential patient.5. Select your goalIn the tool, adjust your ad based on the desired results, such as receiving more calls at your clinic, attracting more patients, or directing people to your site.6. Decide where to advertiseYou decide where you want to display the ads and Google will show it to the right people.7. Create your messageShow off what’s special about your office in three short sentences to win patients over, or add images to create eye-catching banner ads.8. Set your budget limitYou’ll never pay more than your monthly budget and can adjust or pause whenever you want. In addition, the platform shows the estimated results based on the chosen budget.Google Ads can be a tool that helps you find ways to improve your ads and generate better results, thus freeing the doctor to focus on what he knows best: serving patients.It also provides reports, insights, and tips for you to track your progress and further optimize ads.Another tip: create Google My Business, a free and easy-to-use tool that allows healthcare institutions to manage their online presence on Google, including Search and Maps.To do this, you can create a profile of your business with all the essential data. That way, when people search directly by your name or the office or by keywords related to your specialty, Google will show your professional profile.See a step-by-step guide to create your profile in this article.Reviewed by Paulo Schor, ophthalmologist, associate professor and director of innovation of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and collaborator of the Faculty of Medicine of the Albert Einstein Hospital.Follow Phelcom’s blog and see tips on how to improve the digital marketing strategy of medical offices and clinics.Subscribe
English
Português
