DIAGNOS partners with Coordinated Accessible National Health Network to expand AI retinal screening across Canada

(Image Credit: ©busra - Adobe.Stock.com)

DIAGNOS Inc., a Canadian corporation, will see its AI retina analysis expand as the company partners with Canada’s largest specialist care provider in diabetes and endocrinology. The company’s FLAIRE platform, and AI tool, will be used as an advanced screening program to detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive retinopathy.

According to the company’s press release¹, the screening program is being led by DIAGNOS’ exclusive Canadian distribution partner, Labtician Ophthalmics with support from the Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network, a national federally-funded organization focused on helping scale Canada’s most promising health care technologies.

André Larente, President of DIAGNOS, shared how this widespread adoption and implementation could prevent blindness through early detection of disease, saying, "At DIAGNOS we are dedicated to using AI to transform healthcare and safeguard the well-being of individuals at risk of vision impairment due to diabetes and hypertension. We are delighted to announce this partnership in Canada. Our AI technology for retina analysis will enable healthcare professionals at the points of care to detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive retinopathy, allowing for timely interventions and the prevention of blindness. Together, we are advancing patient care and setting new standards in the management of these critical conditions."¹

Similarly, Dr Dante Morra, Chair, CAN Health Network, noted in the press release¹ that this program will help to overcome diagnostic and accessibility barriers saying, “diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults. Early detection is the key to properly managing this disease. But there are many barriers to administering effective assessments. Early results indicate this program is overcoming those barriers. DIAGNOS’ groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence is an instrumental tool in supporting patient care by making it accessible for the Canadian population and scalable for healthcare providers.”

The platform will allow DIAGNOS' AI-driven retina analysis to expand and enhance the diagnosis and monitoring of retinal conditions, especially for individuals affected by diabetes and hypertension. By implementing state-of-the-art AI algorithms, DIAGNOS' platform empowers healthcare professionals to detect retinal changes in their early stages, allowing for timely intervention and prevention of vision loss^.1

The reach of this program will see the FLAIRE platform being used by the partner’s endocrinologists, who are supported by an interdisciplinary team of physician assistants, diabetes educators (registered nurses, registered dietitians, pharmacists), optometrists, chiropodists, and clinical research professionals. The partner has 13 clinics, 20 clinical research sites, and provide care to over 77,000 patients across Canada annually. The distribution and expansion of the platform also meshes with the CAN Health Network’s primary goals, which are to create economic prosperity by scaling Canadian technology companies and stimulating the creation of domestic Canadian jobs. It does this by helping companies overcome the most common barriers they face in the adoption of new technologies in the Canadian healthcare system.¹

Reference:

1. DIAGNOS AI Retina Analysis is being deployed across Canada’s Largest Specialist Care Provider in Diabetes & Endocrinology. DIAGNOS Inc. October 5, 2023. Accessed October 17, 2023. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/10/05/2755590/0/en/DIAGNOS-AI-Retina-Analysis-is-being-deployed-across-Canada-s-Largest-Specialist-Care-Provider-in-Diabetes-Endocrinology.html