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The reason for creating this blog was to share ideas and request input from each other so I invite attendees to share their journey maps, any questions they have or advice you have. Please leave a comment on this post!
If you are kind enough to comment, consider leaving a link to your journey map on Google Drive or a video response that you upload to Google Drive. (We don’t currently support comments with videos directly but we could capture links.)
Angkor Hospital for Children’s (AHC) neonatal unit was established in 2013 to treat newborns who need specialized and intensive care. With four full-time neonatologists who have extensive experience, skills and knowledge, AHC provides excellent care to babies born in Siem Reap and across Cambodia.
The eye clinic is one of the hospital’s busiest units. With a full-time ophthalmologist, a part-time ophthalmologist and a trained eye doctor, our clinic sees over 14,000 children annually and performs more than 250 operations monthly, including cataract, major and minor surgeries for children from across Cambodia.
Seva is proud to have supported a new camera to replace an aging device for this project. But we also worked with AHC to evaluate the entire patient- and parent-journey to ensure that the technology fit into a project plan to ensure increased access.
To coincide with World Sight Day and in collaboration with the National Eye Health Programme, AHC produced and launched an educational video on Retinopathy of Prematurity across six social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Telegram, Instagram, and TikTok.
The campaign reached 158,132 people, substantially increasing public awareness of ROP, the importance of early screening, and available treatment options for premature infants.
Patient Journey – Leakhena & Dalis
Featured in the video above, we have more details on their story below.
Awareness
Leakhena is a mother who lives in the Thlok Angdoung Village of Siem Reap, Cambodia. She delivered a baby girl named Dalis at just 28 weeks. Dalis stayed at the hospital for 6 weeks because she had a severe lung problem.
The compassionate doctor there advised Leakhena to get Dalis’ eyes checked at AHC after she was ready to go home. He explained the retinopathy of prematurity problem that Dalis might suffer with and encouraged Leakhena to bring her daughter for an eye examination. In general, doctors in Cambodia are aware of eye conditions and risk factors.
Leakhena felt very worried about her daughter’s eyes after a long and stressful hospital stay. She knew she wouldn’t stop worrying unless the ophthalmologist could confirm that Dalis’s eyes had no problem.
Visit
Leakhena got up early, got ready and left home at 7:45am to bring her daughter to see an AHC ophthalmologist on a Tuesday in February 2025. They drove with Leakhena’s husband to AHC by motorbike and arrived at AHC at 8am.
First, Leakhena met the security guard, who gave her directions to the eye clinic. Then she went to the registration counter to receive a patient ID number. After that, Dalis’ parents brought her to the eye clinic and waited to see the doctors, which took about an hour.
Our eye doctors needed to perform a fundus exam to check Dalis’ retina. To do so, they gave Dalis three sets of eye drops every 15 minutes to make her pupil dilate so they could properly examine her.
After 45 minutes, Dalis’ pupils still weren’t opened enough, so they sent her to get an ultrasound. The ultrasound can detect masses without the pupil fully dilating. After more time, her pupils opened up enough to receive the retina exam.
Because of the first screen could not recognize her problem, they scheduled Dalis for a follow up in one month. Dalis and her parents returned home by 12:30pm. The whole eye check-up process took around 4 hours and the family paid around US$15 for the whole appointment.
Leakhena felt relief after the AHC ophthalmologist examined her daughter. She gained more awareness about her daughter’s eye health and now feels more confident since her daughter received the screening and follow-up plan from AHC’s ophthalmologists.
Treatment& Outcome
Dalis has now received an ultrasound and fundus exam for her eyes. After the first screening, her eyes were not indicated of any retinal risk. But she’s still growing and follow up continues. Our ophthalmologist explained Dalis’ situation clearly to Leakhena and her husband, and they made her an appointment to return in one month.
This experience was challenging only because our ophthalmologist could not indicate the retinal risk of Dalis’s eyes on her first screening. Keeping parents informed and motivated to continue care is a critical part of the project. Dalis has now completed her screening and follow-up. Leakhena was very happy and relieved to receive confirmation that Dalis is growing well and has normal vision!
Staff Experience
In project like this – that go beyond technology and into extensive collaboration and awareness to best serve patients – the staff expertise and attention are critical.
It’s very important to have modern technology involved in treatment, especially for infants who are at high risk of retinopathy of prematurity. It involves less pain & less complications is safer for patients.
Ping Lomorng, Neonatal Unit Manager
The new machine will help detect retinal disorders early, including retinoblastoma, retinopathy of prematurity and glaucoma. It also helps provide non-invasive and painless imaging for patients. This best supports children’s recovery and monitoring, provides better documentation, education and research & improves the quality of treatment at our hospital for children across Cambodia!
Dr. Yin Sopheakboth, ophthalmologist and Chief of AHC Eye Clinic
Monitoring & Results
To strengthen early detection and referral of ROP, AHC integrated ROP into its Saving Babies Lives (SBL) Neonatal Resuscitation Training program.
Between August 2025 and February 2026, 21 training sessions were conducted for 127 healthcare professionals from 21 referral hospitals and health centers, including facilities in remote areas of Preah Vihear Province.
Community awareness is essential to ensuring families seek care before vision loss becomes irreversible. Through AHC’s regular village outreach program, ROP education was integrated into routine health education sessions alongside topics such as non-communicable diseases, dengue prevention, WASH, nutrition, and first aid.
During the reporting period from 1 April, 2025 – 30 June, 2026:
1,446 diagnostic ultrasound examinations for cataract, myopia, media opacity, and other complex eye conditions.
647 retinal images captured using the Smartscope, supporting diagnosis and monitoring of ROP, retinoblastoma, optic nerve edema, and optic neuritis.
127 healthcare workers from 21 health centers and referral hospitals trained on ROP screening, early identification, and referral pathways.
493 primary school teachers trained to increase awareness of childhood eye health and ROP.
420 village leaders, Village Health Support Groups (VHSGs), commune council members, police officers, and Women’s Affairs representatives received community awareness training.
5,737 community members participated in ROP awareness sessions through village outreach activities.
158,132 people reached through the nationwide ROP awareness campaign across multiple social media platforms.
A huge thanks to AHC and their wonderful teams for this brilliant progress!
We’d like to thank those who joined us for our webinar on October 16, 2025, and invite everyone to watch it on demand!
Timestamps for Reference
1:40 – Welcome, Kate Moynihan
4:10 – Technology Introduction, Katie McMillan
6:23 – Vision Center Management Software, Dr. Shalinder & Team at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital
15:18 – Pre-School Vision Screening with SPOT, Dr. Manisha Shrestha & Team at Bharatpur Eye Hospital
23:29 – Retinal Imaging in Outreach, Dra. Gabriella Pena at INVIS
29:25 – Pristine 5.0 in Africa, Dr. Tamara Chirambo Nyaka, Malawi
36:30 – Panel Discussion & Questions
Additional Questions
We had some questions we didn’t have time to answer live. If you have comments or additional questions, we’d love to hear from you on this post!
Does anyone have insight into digital ocular pathology?
Katie: I admit I’ve not researched this topic deeply. Do you mean taking digital images/photographcs of the pathology so that it can be interpreted elsewhere? I’d love to talk more about your use case and questions – please feel free to send an email to kmcmillan@seva.org!
It is quite a futuristic question, and an exciting one. It reminds me of the Zeiss Artevo 800 retina operating microscope which I am looking forward to experiencing. It combines 3D viewing (like the Alcon NGENUITY VS) for improved ergonomics; and has a fully integrated intraoperative OCT (iOCT) for real-time microscopic tissue viewing for both the surgeon and assistant (and others in the room via a screen). It is for both anterior and posterior segment surgeries. I can only imagine the impact It has on surgical and hopefully visual outcomes as well, as it should improve the surgeon’s precision greatly intraoperatively. Additionally, digital images can be shared for consultation while at it. It ought to make teaching much easier as well.
Having said the above as an example, digital ocular pathology would come at a great capital cost to pool images and formulate algorithms for pattern recognition to improve diagnosis, consistency and access to expert opinion. There are data storage issues amongst others. I think the provision by, for example, the Remidio 5.0 fundus camera with its cloud storage for images are baby steps towards digitization and AI assisted patient management.
What are your tips for making the best use of technology in remote areas, where power and connectivity and staff education may be challenging?
Dr. Manisha: There is a device called arc light, which is battery operated but also has a solar charging option, a very light portable device for fundus examination. I feel teaching the health care personnel at the community level at least for fundal eye reflex screening in children ( at birth, at time of vaccination or when they visit when they are sick) holds significance for detecting amblyogenic risk factors early and then can be referred to eye care facilities.
Katie: We also talked during the live Q&A about supporting systems – uninterruptible power sources, satellite internet, compensation for staff who are trained on critical technologies – that have helped in certain projects.
How do you organize your documentation (SOPs, technology instructions), and how do you evaluate progress and quality within technology projects?
Katie: For Seva projects, we help with quarterly check-ins that ask about quantitative metrics and offer the opportunity to discuss what went well and where there are challenges. I’ve seen the most successful projects have clear leadership buy-in and they tend to follow common practices. So if you have an SOP for infection control, your retinal camera SOP could be found in a similar spot. That way all staff members have a common understanding of where to look for help.
How can technology improve the quality of eye care?
Katie: In the SCEH conversation, we talked about how the capturing of data (patients seen, returning patients, outcomes of treatment) was very helpful in sharing with the vision center staff so they could tell what had happened and compare against similar clinics. These types of electronic medical records assist in tracking visual acuity after cataract surgery, for example, or spectacles that have been returned in the optical shop.
Defining the key metrics and confirming you have a system that is properly tracking them can give opportunity for regular (e.g. monthly, quarterly) strategic conversations about the current status and necessary improvements.
There are groups adding free eye camps and awareness events in Nepal – what are some tips on how they can get the best results?
Dr. Manisha: In a survey sent out via google forms to the Pediatric Ophthalmologists of Nepal (total 40) to find about the status of pre-school vision screening in Nepal, response was obtained from 22 (55%). Out of them 13 (60%) responded that they have conducted the pre school screening, and out of them 10 (77%) said they do it via loose lens retinoscopy by ophthalmic assistants/ optometrist and 3 (23%) responded it was being done by community eye health workers using Snellen’s chart. Everyone responded that vision screening devices for preschool screening had not been used. This shows the gap area for pre-school vision screening in Nepal, traditional way of screening children using loose lens retinoscopy/ snellen’s chart is not feasible for pre-school children (3 to 6 years) and maybe using technology like Spot vision screener or other photoscreener device to detect amblyogenic risk factors in them holds significance.
As you evaluate technology partners, what are some factors to keep in mind?
Have a look at the blog post from SCEH or we’d love to hear what your ideas are!
Some helpful questions to consider:
Who owns the source code and/or intellectual property (IP)?
Who is responsible if there are infringements on someone else’s IP?
If a technology partner can longer work with you in the future for updates or maintenance, do you have all rights to change partners?
Who is responsible for acceptance testing? Or bug fixes within the initial use period?
Have we given a thought on smart phone fundoscopy, which I feel is something we can teach our residents to take fundus images with their own smart phones..
Can anyone explain the role of AI in these technologies? Is AI reliable enough to support a trusted diagnosis? And is AI currently integrated into any of the cameras mentioned today?
Katie: AI for retinal imaging is pretty mature, with some applications specific to diabetic retinopathy having regulatory clearance and therefore having proven safety and efficacy. Retinopathy of prematurity has also shown very impressive results. Other conditions (Glaucoma, AMD, opportunistic infections) have fewer options and varying degrees of research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2162098924000975 offers a recent review.
Remidio, for example, does offer a commercial AI feature for their fundus on phone camera but it is focused on specific retinal conditions. So it’s critical to know exactly what the specifications for AI are and that you have adequate coverage to find conditions out of scope for the algorithm use.
It is a developing field. There are already AI-based Retinal imaging tools for diabetic retinopathy screening such as IDx-DR (Digital diagnostics, USA), EyeArt (Eyenuk), among others.
Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital was awarded one of the 2021 Technology Call for Ideas awards to develop two pieces of software with a local technology partner – 1. Vision Center Management Software and 2. Door to Door Screening Android app. Both software projects have been successfully launched and continue to evolve through discussions of strategic priorities as well as user feedback, a process common to any institution who decides to create and maintain their own digital tools.
We had a conversation about maintaining their Vision Center Management Software (VCMS), which is essentially a mini-Electronic Medical Record that includes the following elements:
Patient Registration
Payment (or Subsidized)
Clinical Exam
Diagnosis & Advise
Teleophthalmology
Optical
Referrals
“We have noticed is that once a patient enters into a network, it could be at any level, it could be at the community level, vision center, they want them themselves to be identified at the next level automatically,” notes Dr. Shalinder Sabherwal, Director of Public Health and Projects at SCEH.
We talked about change management – not just in the launch of the software, but in the continued improvements and upgrades. Security standards change, particularly when handling sensitive personal and payment information. Teams may stumble over workflow challenges that can be corrected by a new drop-down menu. Or teleophthalomlogy or optical modules are added as those programs mature in vision centers.
So how do you help manage that change?
Serve a clear need: Collecting high-quality data gives confidence to the patients, vision center staff and management that quality care is being delivered and improvements are identified.
Involve stakeholders: “There were extensive meetings and roundtables and brainstorming along with the people on the ground to actually capture the pain points,”
Set a clear schedule: The SCEH team works on a 6 month cycle to review input, discuss priorities and define scope, budget and timeline for new features or updated functionality.
Clarify cost of customization: Weighing the budget of new features against their value to the team and sustainability is an important part of the prioritization process.
Contract Clarity: Relationships can change over time – people move, priorities shift and there can be unexpected glitches. While this hasn’t happened – and isn’t anticipated – in this project, SCEH ensured they owned all source code and the rights to continue development. So if anything were to change with the technical partner, a new one could be found and work could continue.
Dr. Tamara Chirambo Nyaka joined the first Pristine 5.0 installation in Africa, attending the installation and training in Malawi with Seva consultants and a clinical partner serving patients living with HIV (PLWHIV). The concept, spearheaded by our African Program Officer, was to connect a local retina expert, Dr. Tamara, with the American consultants who played major roles in designing the camera as well as Vignesh, an expert from Remidio Innovative Solutions, who engineered, designed and manufactured the camera.
The training was a success, offering access to retinal imaging where none had existed before. This offered a pathway to treatment for patients who were at risk for blindness from opportunistic infections, including Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Retinitis.
But Dr. Tamara’s work did not stop there! When we found partners in Uganda with interest in expanding retinal imaging, we asked her to lead our training, establishing local expertise in both retinal imaging (which she had) and Pristine 5.0 (which she could get).
Dr. Tamara traveled to Remidio’s headquarters in Bengaluru, India, to meet with key members of the team to learn detailed operation of the camera and get some practice. Perhaps most importantly, she reconnected with Vignesh and met Ashish, establishing important relationships with the technical experts who could help with future issues.
Finally, we were joined by two of our partners in Uganda for a training when they received new Pristine 5.0 cameras. Our friends from Lira Regional Referral Hospital and Ruharo Mission Hospital joined Dr. Tamara in Lira for the first training in Africa not attended directly by Remidio experts.
Ben, from Ruharo, noted, “The lesions we are now seeing on the Pristine are things we used to assume as normal but now we have been taught to stop and observe and describe , categorize and confirm these lesions.”
Dr. Shamiim, who has championed multiple technology projects at Lira, wrote, “ The purpose of this email is to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you all for the unwavering support and the kindness shown towards the people of Lango subregion. I am positive that these new developments will create a positive impact on the management of our patients henceforth.”
What has emerged from Dr. Tamara’s work is a network of trained professionals who connect, primarily over WhatsApp, over difficult cases or technical challenges. They can find support from Remidio or retinal experts and encouragement to continue to find ways to use the cameras to do the best work for their patients.
And we can’t wait to see what comes next from these conversations!
What does it take to move from a paper-based system to a hospital-wide EMR? At Lumbini Eye Institute and Research Center (LEIRC) in Nepal, it’s not just about technology—it’s about teamwork, thoughtful change management, and putting patient care at the center of every decision.
Lumbini launched a staged expansion of their EMR system in 2024. Their story offers powerful lessons for other hospitals that already have an EMR in place and are thinking about scaling it further.
🧠 Key Learnings for Hospitals Considering EMR Expansion
1. Build buy-in from the ground up. Lumbini’s leadership involved staff early—designating internal “super users,” encouraging feedback, and creating a sense of shared ownership. By engaging teams from the start, they created momentum and trust in the process.
2. Start where it matters. Rather than going live across all departments, they prioritized cataract patients—the hospital’s highest volume and most standardized workflow. This approach allowed them to build a strong foundation before expanding into more complex services.
3. Invest in tools that make EMR easier, not harder. From deploying barcodes for smoother patient ID to launching a local server for better stability, the Lumbini team made thoughtful tech decisions to ensure adoption was sustainable—even in areas with limited internet access.
4. Make data actionable. The EMR system now allows Lumbini to track patients across the full continuum of care—from outreach through surgery and follow-up. That means fewer missed visits, better post-op care, and ultimately, better outcomes.
👏 Key Accomplishments
If you ask us, Lumbini’s progress is about more than digitization. It’s a story of leadership with vision and service. Here’s what we think deserves special recognition:
Change Management Done Right: Staff were trained, encouraged, and given room to lead. The result? High adoption and growing demand to expand the system further.
Local Ownership: The hospital made key decisions—from server setup to protocol design—that reflect deep understanding of their own clinical context.
Patient-Centered Focus: At every step, the question was “How will this help the patient?” That clarity has guided smarter, more targeted technology use.
Sector Leadership: By sharing their journey, Lumbini is helping other hospitals learn, adapt, and accelerate their own EMR progress.
📈 What’s Next?
With outpatient services now digitized and follow-up care more consistent, Lumbini is already planning further EMR expansion into surgical workflows and community outreach. They’re also exploring how better data can support hospital management and long-term planning. They’re also tackling back-up servers and focusing on specific departments to move to a fully paperless workflow.
For other hospitals with an EMR system already in place, Lumbini’s story is a reminder that scaling thoughtfully is just as important as starting boldly. Progress isn’t about pushing faster—it’s about building trust, listening to staff, and always coming back to what matters: better care for every patient.
At Bharatpur Eye Hospital (BEH), technology is more than an upgrade—it’s a commitment to patient-centered care and operational excellence. BEH has embarked on an ambitious plan to expand their Integrated Hospital Management System (IHMS) from four pilot sites to a network of 12 eye care centers. Their experience so far offers practical insights for any clinic or hospital considering a similar step.
Why Expand IHMS?
For BEH, visibility into daily operations across its network was limited. Each eye care center operated with different processes for patient intake, billing, referrals, and inventory. By rolling out a unified IHMS platform—Midas software—BEH aimed to:
Streamline registration, referrals, and optical/pharmacy sales
Enable faster patient visits by eliminating redundant paperwork
Ensure continuity of care between community clinics and the base hospital
Improve inventory tracking and resource planning
Enhance data collection and decision-making at the management level
Benefits for Patients
With the IHMS, patients can now experience seamless, coordinated care. A woman needing eyeglasses can visit a community clinic, have her details entered once, and access those records again for future visits—without needing to start from scratch. A man referred for cataract surgery arrives at the base hospital with a barcode and complete referral data already entered, reducing delays and improving the patient experience. Technology is making these journeys faster, smoother, and more respectful of each person’s time and trust.
Progress So Far
Two clinics—Parsa and Ratnanagar—have completed full installation, training, and go-live of the IHMS. The implementation team used several smart strategies to support staff:
Self-paced video training via an internal intranet portal
Real-time help through a dedicated WhatsApp group
Daily online Q&A sessions to address issues and share solutions
Dashboard monitoring to track progress during training and dummy data entry
These tools helped create a supportive learning environment, even when clinics were facing high patient loads and limited hardware.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
As with any major rollout, BEH encountered real-world challenges that other clinics can learn from:
Training Overload: Attempting to train all modules at once overwhelmed staff. The revised approach now introduces modules in phases—starting with registration and billing, followed by pharmacy and optical services.
Hardware Delays: Late procurement of computers forced staff to practice on shared devices. Future clinics are encouraged to secure all equipment ahead of training.
Network Reliability: Internet disruptions affected system performance. Training staff on backup solutions like SIM card hotspots ensured continued operations.
What’s Next?
BEH plans to expand the IHMS to 10 more clinics over the coming months. Each implementation will build on these lessons to make future rollouts smoother and more efficient. A final impact survey will assess improvements in patient satisfaction, wait times, and system usability across all sites.
For Partners Considering Expansion
BEH’s journey shows that technology adoption is not just about software—it’s about thoughtful planning, hands-on training, and persistent support. For any partner looking to scale their EMR or IHMS, BEH’s phased approach, real-time communication tools, and early troubleshooting are valuable strategies to consider.
By learning from BEH, other clinical sites can feel more confident in embracing technology that not only simplifies operations—but delivers measurable improvements for patients and staff alike.
Seva is proud of our collaboration with Remidio Innovative Solutions and is placing 50 cameras with global partners to increase access to retinal imaging.
This post is written for those wonderful collaborators who have already received their cameras on site. If you have questions about agreements, shipping or customs, please email Katie directly.
Creating a login
Once your camera arrives, Remidio will need to create a login for you. Please send an email address to Katie (that all camera users and image reviewers will use) to begin that set up. You will receive an email from Remidio with instructions at the email address you’ve provided.
Downloading the app
After the login is created, partners outside India will need help from Remidio to download the app on the iPad. This is because we’re still working on regulatory approval in most countries and Apple requires that approval before placing software on the official app store. (For users in India, the app is available since we have regulatory clearance!)
Using the camera
Remidio has helped us create a short video tutorial to provide an overview and general instructions. Time stamps are given for the sections below in case you want to re-watch specific topics.
Camera set up (1:26)
Power on and connecting iPad to camera (2:37)
iPad application & starting an exam (2:58)
Taking the first image (3:46)
Taking images of the second eye (5:22)
Creating a montage of multiple images (6:07)
Annotating images (6:33)
Reports & export (7:30)
The full Instructions for Use are available below. We’re still working on translations to French and Spanish. If other translations would be helpful, please let us know!
We’d love to hear what you think – what questions you had, tips you’d offer other partners or feedback on the process overall. Please comment below so we can share our learnings and accelerate access to retinal imaging!
Eye care in rural areas of the Dominican Republic is challenging, with patients often not able to access preventive care until eye conditions, including glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy, are more severe. Seva is delighted to support the work of Dr. Gabriella Pena and the outreach team who travel to these underserved areas to screen and educate patients!
Instituto Internacional de la Visión (INVIS)
Based in Santo Domingo in the south of the country since 2009, INVIS manages a comprehensive eye hospital as well as a busy outreach program with 5-8 events each week to reach underserved communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Patients attending outreach screening previously lacked access to retinal imaging. Through this project, Seva is helping to equip 3 of the mobile teams with non-mydriatic retinal cameras to better assess patients within their communities.
Since many patients attending outreach events have not had access to eye care, the INVIS team works to evaluate visual acuity, anterior segment issues and provides referrals to patients who need to visit the city for a more comprehensive exam. Before this project, all patients with suspected retinal issues or higher risk were referred. Now, the team can quickly take retinal images which are read remotely and better advise patients whether they need to make the journey to the city.
INVIS manages the entire patient journey – from outreach to treatment and follow-up – through a community-based approach and building trust with patients and families.
Outreach events are hosted in the community – in schools, churches or other structures – with the support of local leaders. Locations are visited based on the population size and specific needs of each area. Some places, due to their high population density or the involvement of different community leaders, attract entirely different groups of people each time.
If the location is within a province, we may visit 2 to 4 times a year, depending on demand, as we often go to different sectors within the same province. In the city, the frequency depends on these same factors as well as the level of community engagement and interest.
Outreach Patient Journey
A patient arrives, is greeted and registers with a name and contact information.
Visual acuity is checked along by the promotor or a general physician with a brief examination of the eyes and documentation of complaints and medical history.
A retinal image is taken of each eye for every patient where possible. The INVIS team required a non-mydriatic camera to meet patient needs so that no dilation was needed. Therefore, there is no waiting for the pupil to dilate after receiving drops and patients can return to their work or home without light sensitivity.
In cases where there are long lines, the INVIS team will prioritize patients of older age or higher risk factors to receive retinal imaging.
An trained ophthalmic professional will provide a consultation on what was found during the screening, prescriptions for eyeglasses and, if needed, more information on the referral to the hospital for treatment.
During the events we usually provide reading glasses, and when available, we also distribute frames and sunglasses. While reading glasses are not always the ideal solution, they are greatly appreciated by attendees. People often attend these activities hoping to leave with something in hand.
Referral Patient Journey
INVIS schedules all patients from a community to visit the hospital on the same day. This way, they can share a bus, bring a caregiver or family members, all free of charge.
“This is often the only time some of them visit the city,” Dr. Gabriella shares. “So they may do shopping or visit relatives while on their trip. We also serve them pizza so that’s fun too.”
Once they arrive, patients are sent for additional examinations or their procedures – cataract surgeries, glaucoma treatments or other care.
Diabetic retinopathy is a major focus during our hospital visits. We emphasize the importance of early detection and timely treatment to prevent vision loss. When a retina specialist is available, patients are evaluated and offered a follow-up appointment for treatment, as procedures are not performed on the same day. If the specialist is not present, the consultation is still scheduled free of charge, and the treatment is offered at a significantly reduced rate compared to standard market prices, ensuring accessibility for all patients.
Glaucoma treatment begins with prescription eye drops. If the condition does not respond well, surgical options are considered, depending on the severity and individual needs of the patient.
Once all treatments are finished for the community members, the bus returns them home.
Follow-up care: If no pathology is found, patients leave with a scheduled annual appointment. In cases where treatment is needed—especially surgical—we try to group patients from the same outreach on the same day. This allows them to share transportation or enables us to assist with transportation.
There are multiple outreach teams and INVIS currently has 1 retinal camera, with plans for another 2 to increase access.
Name & Title
Feature Priority
Enmanuel Almonte, Executive Director
– Portable & Durable: The camera is transported almost daily. – Non-mydriatic: Dilation does not fit into the outreach workflow. Patients requiring dilation are referred to the hospital.
Dr. Gabriella Peña, Outreach Director
– Patient-friendly: As trust is built with communities, screening events should be kind and welcoming, as should the technology used. – Easy to use: INVIS staff managing outreach are busy – the camera should be easy to use, from set-up to capturing images to transferring images for reading
Dr. Ramon Escaño, Medical Director
Highlights the usefulness of EyeRobo in clinical practice, emphasizing its value not only in patient diagnostics but also as an educational tool. “EyeRobo is incredibly helpful for demonstrating any findings to our residents. It allows us to visually present the conditions we encounter in real-time, making it easier for them to understand and learn about various pathologies,” he shares.
Dra. Vargas, Outreach team, Camera operator
“We really like how practical and easy it is to use the EyeRobo. It makes the process of capturing images for diagnosis much smoother, saving us time. It’s a user-friendly system that helps us focus on the patient rather than worrying about complicated settings or operations.”
INVIS staff acquired the EyeRobo camera locally and are expecting delivery of the NM-FOP soon. A third camera will be purchased based on the results of their evaluation.
Very positive! Patients appreciate the appearance and name (Robot) gives the impression of high-tech resources.
TBD – camera not yet delivered
Weight
6 kg
1.1 kg
Size
410 × 205 × 260 mm
93 x 284 x 226 mm
Operation
Automatic alignment, focus, exposure & capture
Automatic capture, 8 fixation points
Reports
Images are transferred from camera on USB drive and manually uploaded to computers for reading and reports
Images are transferred to Remidio’s cloud-based, secure website for remote reading. Standard reports are also available via cloud.
Pricing
Not publicly available but 50% greater than FOP in this project
Not publicly available but less than EyeRobo
Availability
Local purchase
Evaluation/demonstration through Remidio directly
Service & Warranty
1 year
Evaluation unit
This project is still in progress but early indications are that increasing access using EyeRobo has been successful!
Patients have responded positively to the high-tech solution, finding it fast and easy to use. They also like the name as Robo translates to Robot in Spanish.
INVIS staff have not had issues with the camera operation but are looking for better ways to manage image transfer and reports. Conversations to optimize that workflow are ongoing.
The camera has been used at 15 events to image 600 patients.
What if the path to improving vision care—and building financial sustainability—was as close as your hospital’s optical shop?
At Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in India, that question led to a bold decision: stop outsourcing optical services and bring them in-house. Their goal is to reach 25% profitability, cover 8 hospitals and 107 vision centers, and—most importantly—made eyeglasses more affordable and accessible to the people who need them most.
But this isn’t just a financial story. It’s about people.
It’s about patients who can finally see clearly enough to work, study, or care for their families. It’s about staff who are now trained, empowered, and connected to a deeper mission. It’s about communities gaining access to better care and stronger local economies.
👓 Why Own Your Optical Shop?
Uncorrected refractive error (URE) is one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide, especially in low-resource settings. Many eye hospitals outsource their optical shops, which often means losing control of:
Pricing – profit is managed by a company, not the hospital
Product quality – limited control over lens quality and frame styles
Revenue – shared with another entity
Patient experience – staff training and patient wait times may be inconsistent
Scalability – opening centers in less profitable locations
Shroff’s experience shows that owning the optical journey can create a ripple effect:
✅ Better patient outcomes through integrated care ✅ Faster service with in-house lens edging labs ✅ New revenue to support free or subsidized care for their mission ✅ Local job creation and staff retention through training and incentives
🔧 How Did They Do It?
The team at Shroff took a thoughtful, step-by-step approach:
Piloted the model in one hospital before scaling.
Obtain all required licenses and certifications to operate legally with the help of corporate lawyer
Used a tiered pricing model—affordable (~$2.50) frames for low-income patients and premium options for others.
Trained community health workers and clinical staff to identify refractive needs and refer patients.
Built an in-house lens edging lab for faster, cheaper delivery.
Created a transparent supply chain and invested in on-site teams at every hospital and vision center.
Managed cash flow at each level of the supply chain.
💡 What Can Other Hospitals Learn?
If you’re thinking about launching or improving an in-house optical shop, here are a few takeaways:
🛠️ Start small. Pilot, learn, and grow.
🧭 Keep patient flow smooth. Make it easy to go from prescription to purchase in one visit.
👥 Invest in people. Your staff are your most valuable asset. Train them, reward them, and give them a mission to believe in.
📊 Track your data. Sales, customer feedback, and costs are all tools for smart scaling.
💬 Let’s Talk!
Are you exploring an in-house optical model? Already running one and have lessons to share? I’d love to hear from you!
What’s working—or not—in your context?
What questions do you have for the Shroff team of experts?
➡️ Comment below! Let’s learn from each other and build something better—together.
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