MONTREAL, QUEBEC – The First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) with the financial support of Health Canada have partnered with Retina Labs to provide screening for diabetic retinopathy. The service will offer eye care services and retinal screenings to the Algonquin communities in several remote communities in the region of Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec. Forced settlement and changes to dietary habits have had adverse effects on the health conditions and well-being of First Nations peoples. Diabetes is one of the chronic diseases which affect a significant number of First Nations and Inuit communities.
Trained technicians will be dispatched to the region with mobile non-mydriatic fundus cameras so that retinal images can be collected from patients. Following ocular image collection, images are sent electronically to ophthalmologists in Montreal for analysis, interpretation and reporting using Retina Labs iVision teleophthalmology platform. Patients with symptoms for diabetic retinopathy will be promptly treated and followed up.
“Diabetes is a major public health issue for many First Nations communities”, says Hamid Fotuhi, General Manager of Retina Labs. “Knowing that we can now offer them high quality medical eye care through telemedicine and virtual care technologies is tremendously rewarding,” confirms Fotuhi.
About The FNQLHSSC
The FNQLHSSC is a non-profit organisation that is responsible for supporting the efforts of the First Nations of Quebec in order to, among other things, plan and deliver culturally-appropriate and preventive health and social services programs. For more information visit: www.cssspnql.com.
About Retina Labs
For over a decade, Retina Labs has been on the leading edge of telehealth and virtual care innovation. Its cloud-based iVision® teleophthalmology platform offers eye care professionals an integrated solution that combines advanced ocular imaging, clinical interpretation and reporting tools with integrated Electronic Medical Records, Practice Management and electronic referrals. The company’s solutions allow healthcare providers to improve access to quality eye care while streamlining the processes related to the management of chronic eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age related macular degeneration and retinopathy of prematurity. iVision is the teleophthalmology platform of choice for hospitals, government health agencies and eye care professionals, and is recognized by the World Health Organization for its breakthrough advancements in telehealth technology. For more information on Retina Labs visit www.retina-labs.com
.jpg)
