We are delighted to soon be launching IBIS-Connect to our first group of customers in the optical sector. It’s great to finally be sharing our solution with the eye care community and since it will soon be going live, we thought we’d take the opportunity to share some more about our new telemedicine platform and what it means for optical practices across the UK and internationally. 
 
IBIS-Connect is a cloud-based platform that allows you to seamlessly connect with your patients wherever they are. This means that it doesn’t matter whether they are 1 mile or 100 miles away, you’ll still be able to offer them an eye test.  
 
It’s convenient for you, your patients and allows you to reach a far wider audience. With our new solution you’ll get to:  
 

• Test patients from the comfort of their own homes or wherever they are. All they need is access to a computer or laptop.  
• See and speak to your patients via our interactive platform as they progress through each test.  

• Accurately position your patients remotely with no need for a chin/head rest or extra equipment. 

 
On the IBIS-Connect platform you’ll have access to tests such as Visual Acuity, Visual Field, Amsler and Colour with more becoming available in the future. You can also use the platform in whatever way suits you whether that be for pre-screening before appointments, remote triage and/or follow-ups after treatment.  
 
We’ve got flexible pricing plans that suits various sizes of businesses too. We’d be happy to talk to you more about IBIS-Connect and explain how we can help to transform your patient journey in more detail. Get in touch with us today, here.  

Press release, August 2021:

IbisVision, the groundbreaking Glasgow company whose platform allows opticians to perform remote eye tests with patients in any location, has created a new role of lead developer as it builds world leading software for facial recognition. The company has hired Will Silva, a Brazilian IT specialist, for the senior management role that will bring in house functions previously outsourced to consultancies.
 
Silva will initially lead the focus on developing facial recognition mechanisms that detect movement and so allow for patients to undergo accurate eye tests from the comfort of their own home and over their own computer. Eye tests normally require a fixed patient position to maintain accuracy in the readings, and traditionally optical equipment has relied on furniture to keep patients still during the procedure. IbisVision’s innovative solution mitigates for the movements that patients often make even when attempting to hold still.
 
Silva’s central principles in building the IbisVision platform are modularity, which means that the platform can allow for any number of different configurations depending on the needs of optometrists, and an open API (application programming interface), which allows for third-party and white label integration, which in turn vastly extends the commercial potential of the platform. 
 
Silva, 33 and originally from São Paulo, has taken the lead development role on a number of other innovative businesses that require client interaction. He cites his experience in building a multi-user taxi hailing platform in Brazil as foundational experience for the IbisVision platform because it centred on allowing multiple users to interact with each other. This approach will allow optometrists, patients and third parties to all use seamlessly the same IbisVision interface.
 
Commenting on his appointment Will Silva said:
 
"The whole point of our development strategy is to allow opticians to manage in real-time the interaction with their patients, as if they were sitting in a chair right beside them.
 
“This software takes facial recognition to a whole new level, allowing for dynamic movement so that readings can be taken even when a person is not held in a fixed position – it's the Holy Grail for remote optical technology.
 
“Through our modularity framework, this allows for maximum flexibility with the optometrist community, allowing them to build their own platform as they see fit. Our open API allows any number of the third parties to utilise the platform to their own specifications.”
 
CEO Mark Roger commented:
 
“The technology behind IbisVision is so specialist that in order to refine it further we need the best in class talent – Will’s expertise across various seller/client platforms means that he understands the importance of a dynamic relationship between these two key actors. With the technical experience to be able to finesse our facial recognition software, which is groundbreaking in any context, Will can ensure that the platform is always meeting the exacting demands of the optometrist community and our third-party commercial partners."

Health kiosks are an advancement in medical technology and are allowing healthcare to become more accessible for all. Kiosks are electronic machines that help the public access health screenings quickly and easily. Some are used by hospitals and doctors as simple check-in systems but others are much more advanced.

Health kiosks can provide indicators on general health status and can alert patients if they have any health needs that require further attention. Companies such as Higi, Pulse Active Stations Network and Wellme are at the forefront of this medical technology.
 
Why are health kiosks important?
 
Health kiosks are being placed in locations such as supermarkets and workplaces to help act as early warning systems for various health problems. Diagnostic tools are flagging things such as weight issues and high blood pressure and now companies like IbisVision are providing additional screenings to add to this list of early detection techniques. Adding eye testing to kiosks will help to detect vision changes without an individual having to first of all visit an optometrist or doctor. If there are any issues, similar to the other diagnostic tests, the kiosk will advise the patient on where to seek further help.
 
The benefits of health kiosks are key to their success. They allow patients to be in control of their health screenings and provide ways to get these done quickly and when it is convenient for the individual. This means the patient only has to visit their healthcare provider if a potential health issue is flagged up by the kiosk itself. This, in turn, saves the provider time and money as well as the patient.
 
Having control over healthcare experiences can make it a lot less daunting and takes the initial stress out of going for an appointment. Many people still prefer to visit their provider, but health kiosks are providing a whole new way of undertaking health check-ups and this is very attractive to a great number of people. With a variety of kiosks available, there are all shapes and sizes to suit different demographics and high-footfall environments.
 
IbisVision provides vision testing technology to health kiosks as part of our product offering. To find out more, get in touch with us, here.

Many practitioners and patients are currently opting to choose virtual appointments over face-to-face interactions. This increased demand for telemedicine use has sparked many questions as to what an organisation should be looking for when choosing their provider.

You need to consider how your new provider will affect you, your patients and your organisation as a whole. Here are some things to think about:
 
1) How easy is it for you and your patients to use?
 
The only way for your telemedicine platform to be a success is to ensure that you can use it and your patients can use it too. If you’re already under pressure with appointment times and a busy schedule then you need to make sure it will integrate easily into your daily processes.
 
To ensure that you do know how to use it or can learn how to use it easily, make sure to get a demonstration before you buy or even have a trial of the software before you make your final decision. This way you’ll know how simple it is to get on the platform and speak with patients. It’ll also allow you to see how your patients can use it too; not everyone is tech savvy so the platform should be easy to navigate with limited steps to accessing the healthcare provider.
 
2) Device accessibility
 
The best telemedicine software is one that can be accessed easily from various devices and browsers. This means it’s simple for patients to use the system with devices they already have at home.

Being flexible with what devices can be used is the best way to make it a success for both you and your patients. As well as being user friendly, having software that can be accessed from the cloud is an added benefit too.
 
3) Security and compliance
 
It’s good to do a deeper dig into the security and compliance measures that the software has. If privacy and data aren’t secure, then you can run into many problems along the way. Ensure you do your due diligence and find out what the provider has in place to make sure you’re as secure as possible. This will benefit both you and your customers!
 
4) Training and support
 
Setting up a new system can often be stressful. This is why you should check your provider has the support in place to help you through this. This includes getting started and using the software going forward. Real-time support or respectable SLA’s will help your organisation get the answers you need when you need them, reducing any negative impact on your business or customers.
 
These highlighted topics are some key points to consider when choosing your provider. IbisVision has as much as we possibly can in place to ensure our customers have a smooth and easy journey with us. Find out more about working with us and what you'll get from our telemedicine platform, here.

IbisVision was recently showcased by Keytree, a Deloitte business on their webinar 'The New Normal.' This webinar is hosted by Steve Ingram and Shaid Latif and discusses a broad range of hot button topics every week. 

Mel and Laura from the IbisVision team were invited to the latest episode to talk about telemedicine and how it's disrupting the optical industry. They also spoke to Steve and Shaid about our new telemedicine platform, IbisConnect, and how it's helping to make eyecare accessible for all.  

If you missed the live webinar, you can still catch the on-demand version below. Get in touch with us here if you want to find out more about our telemedicine platform or would like to be one of the first to use IBIS-Connect.

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR - WATCH HERE 

​Telehealth and Telemedicine are both terms that are being used more in 2021. As we have learned, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the development and use of virtual services, many of these being healthcare services. Telehealth and Telemedicine solutions have been on the rise and its important we now understand what they both mean for us. More so because the two terms can be easily confused and it’s not uncommon to see them used interchangeably. Let's take a look:
 
Telehealth
 
Telehealth refers to both clinical and non-clinical services and can be used to describe electronic and telecommunications. It doesn’t necessarily always relate to direct online communications with a clinician either. Telehealth encompasses a broader range of remote services so can be used when referring to provider training or continuing medical education as well as non-clinical services. It really is a term that can be used in a wide range of ways but it always brings together the many methods of virtual health services.
 
Telemedicine
 
Telemedicine solely refers to clinical services and although originally used to reach those in remote locations, telemedicine is now being embraced as part of the new normal in patient care. Telemedicine gives patients direct access to their clinician from the comfort of their homes or wherever they may be. It’s a forward-thinking method of allowing patients to receive appropriate care more conveniently online and when further treatment is required, patients can discuss with their clinician on how they move forward with any physical treatment.  
 
It’s important to note that Telemedicine is a subset of Telehealth and can be used alongside it, although we must remember that not all Telehealth is Telemedicine. This information is vital when looking for the correct solutions and suppliers as well as understanding that both are aiming to increase access to healthcare and make health management more efficient for professionals and patients alike.
 
IbisVision provides remote vision testing software to the optical industry. Get in touch with us today to hear more about our telemedicine capabilities, and how they can benefit your organisation. Contact us, here.

During the summer we always think about protecting our skin from the sun, but we should also be thinking about protecting our eyes from UV rays as well. Increased exposure to sunlight is known to put us more at risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration so it’s important to think about how we can limit the damage from UV rays. It’s also vital to remember that sun damage does not only occur in the summer, we are also at risk throughout the rest of the year too. 
 
Here are some tips from the American Academy of Ophthalmology to help us protect our eyes from sun damage.
 

• Don’t focus on colour or darkness of sunglass lenses: Select sunglasses that block UV rays. The ability to block UV light is not dependent on the price tag or how dark the sunglass lenses are.
• Check for 100 percent UV protection: Make sure your sunglasses block 100 percent of UV-A rays and UV-B rays.
• Choose wrap-around styles: Ideally, your sunglasses should wrap all the way around to your temples, so the sun’s rays can’t enter from the side.
• Wear a hat: In addition to your sunglasses, wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect your eyes.
• Don’t rely on contact lenses: Even if you wear contact lenses with UV protection, remember your sunglasses.
• Don’t be fooled by clouds: The sun’s rays can pass through haze and thin clouds. Sun damage to eyes can occur anytime during the year, not just in the summertime.
• Protect your eyes during peak sun times: Sunglasses should be worn whenever outside, and it’s especially important to wear sunglasses in the early afternoon and at higher altitudes, where UV light is more intense.
• Never look directly at the sun. Looking directly at the sun at any time, including during an eclipse, can lead to solar retinopathy, damage to the eye’s retina from solar radiation.
• Don’t forget the kids: Everyone is at risk, including children.
• Protect their eyes with hats and sunglasses. In addition, try to keep children out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest.
  
  

Source: https://www.eyeandhealth.com/blog/july-is-uv-safety-awareness-month
​

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, telehealth wasn’t a reality for many and was more of a goal that was in the pipeline for the future. However, the pandemic has brought about major changes in this area and now developments in telehealth are firing ahead.
 
In recent years, technology has often been viewed as a limiting factor in healthcare, mostly in terms of patients having the knowledge to use it and having access to the appropriate internet connection. These issues are largely easy to overcome and since the Covid-19 pandemic began, healthcare professionals and patients are more able to adapt to new ways of working and accessing essential services.
 
There’s no doubt that some patients, especially the elderly or vulnerable, may still need assistance in accessing virtual care, but it’s something that professionals are more aware of and many are now fully equipped to offer support with this. The expansion of telehealth has brought many benefits to professionals and patients too; it has led to patients spending less time travelling to and from appointments, and it has reduced the time spent in waiting rooms while still being able to access an receive a high quality of care. Technology with telehealth capabilities is also allowing healthcare professionals to provide care to those who aren’t able to access it as easily, such as those who live in remote locations or are unable to travel.
 
This progress is allowing many healthcare systems to provide essential services to patients that might have otherwise not been able to gain access to it. It is also important to note that in the years to come telehealth may not exist as a standalone concept and will just be ‘healthcare.’ As more and more patients and healthcare professionals use it, telehealth will become a staple part of the treatment process. Doctors may even end up caring for more patients than they would in person as there’s less administrative work to be done. They will have the support of interactive telehealth platforms and many of the time-consuming tasks can be self-serving for the patients or done automatically.
 
With patients becoming accustomed to this level of access, it’s a sure thing that we won’t ever head back to not having virtual care. Continued growth will be sustained in the years to come as easier access to healthcare is the goal in most healthcare systems and that goes from hospital care to eye care. This increased access with the added benefit of telehealth aiding in preventative care, is only going to increase its growth and it will continue to be embraced by both professionals and patients.

IbisVision provides remote vision testing software to the optical industry. Get in touch with us today to hear more about our telehealth capabilities, and how it can benefit you in attracting and treating more patients. Contact us, here.

Technology companies across the world are stepping up and finding new and innovative ways to ensure that people have easier access to healthcare. The need to create this accessibility has come from a number of reasons. For example, Covid-19 restrictions have increased the need for social distancing, and telemedicine also allows providers to give those who live-in remote locations the opportunity to access the healthcare they need in a timely way as well as helping those who are vulnerable. 
 
According to a Cisco global survey, 74% of patients prefer easy access to healthcare services over in-person interactions with providers. This means that even those who aren’t vulnerable are now pushing more for this type of care, and technology is becoming available in more and more health systems to allow this. Let’s take a look at what kind of solutions are out there:
 
Remote technology

Telemedicine is on the rise in many health systems. IbisVision has developed a remote solution for the optometry industry but there are many other healthcare professionals utilising this type of software too.

Remote appointments are being aided with solutions such as online platforms and smartphone applications. These options help to connect patients with healthcare providers without any wasted time or the additional costs of in-person visits to the patient or the organisation. Remote solutions are also here to help providers offer patient-centred approaches while improving the timeliness of appointments, something that is going a long way in improving the quality of care.
 
Health kiosks
 
Health kiosks help to serve the general public and offer screening tools for individuals to check up on their health quickly without having to visit a doctor. These kiosks are often located in supermarkets or retail spaces and most recently, workplaces have started to place these in their office spaces too.

A visit to a clinician will only be recommended if the kiosk reports back results that require a physical check-up. This helps to save time for both the patient and healthcare professional as it cuts down time spent at the practice as well as having to make multiple visits. Health kiosks like those from Higi and Pulse Active Networks are focused on improving wellness of the public and are a non-invasive way of screening an individual’s health. Many of these kiosks are utilised across the world and can currently capture measurements such as an individuals’ weight, height, BMI, blood pressure and heart rate. However, this is an evolving concept and more healthcare providers are looking at utilising kiosks as a first point of care for their patients.
 
Technology is allowing us to provide healthcare to patients like never before. This is making healthcare easier to access for everyone and also makes it less intimidating for those who are vulnerable. While there have been limitations to telemedicine in the past, providers are now addressing these issues to allow different healthcare industries to thrive using new solutions.
 
To find out more about IbisVision and our telemedicine capabilities for the optical industry, get in touch with us, here.

Not everyone is able to visit their opticians to attend eye tests, and this can be caused by a number of reasons which include physical and mental disabilities. These individuals are also often those who need access to eye care the most and this is why portable vision testing technology is a great addition for optometrists who provide domiciliary care.
 
Technology, like IbisVision’s, helps to cut down the amount of equipment that optometrists need to take out to their patient’s homes. At the moment, optometrists often take a number of pieces of equipment with them and having technology available to them that holds a number of tests will make their jobs easier. It also makes the patient experience smoother in their homes and making the process as easy as possible is in the best interest of the patient and their wellbeing.
 
Innovative vision testing software supports the domiciliary journey for both the optometrist and the patient, and allows the optometrist to carry out tests efficiently in order to determine the patient’s needs for vision care. This makes it easier for them to provide continuity of care too. Talk to our team today about how we can support your business with portable vision testing technology. You can get in touch with us, here.