Spect, MedArrive offer retinal screening options to vulnerable patients

On Monday, January 31, Spect announced a partnership with MedArrive to to bring retinal screening solutions to the patient, wherever they may be.

According to the companies, Spect’s AI-enabled mobile telemedicine platform will enable MedArrive providers to screen patients for vision-threatening eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), from anywhere and in just a matter of minutes.

“Access to quality care within the home is critical for an equitable health system,” Dan Trigub, CEO and co-founder of MedArrive, said in a statement. “We partnered with Spect because its approach to health is incredibly similar to ours: Support patients when and where they need it. The company’s technology will improve the lives of so many of the people who have lacked access to eye care simply because they can’t make it to an in-person appointment.”

The companies noted that diabetes impacts nearly one-third of the U.S. population, and many are affected by its related health complications. Diabetic Retinopathy is currently the leading cause of vision loss in American adults, impacting the lives of millions, yet preventable through regular eye check-ups. Despite that, 60% of U.S. patients skip their annual eye exam due to a dearth of appointment availability, lack of at-home care options, and a serious shortage of retinal specialists.

Spect, which offers end-to-end eye screening solutions, hopes to address this critical healthcare gap because its technology makes treatment more affordable and accessible at the point of care.

How Spect Works

Spect’s platform creates a frictionless workflow that enables MedArrive providers to complete the screening with an image gradeability above 95%.

A little about Spect:

• Spect Imaging Device: Spect practices receive a small, portable device for doctors to carry in their pocket
• Spect Telemedicine Platform: Spect-trained specialists can guide clinicians how to use the Spect device, enabling at-home testing options
• Spect Retinal Image Grader: Spect’s AI-enabled platform analyzes the results within minutes, instead of days
• Spect’s Dataset: More than 1.5 million images captured to date are on the platform and this dataset continues to grow

In a news release, Mike Ricci, CEO and co-founder of Spect, said in order to health health disparities in the United States, it is important to ensure that everyone has access to preventative eye care.

“Retinal screening can prevent diabetic retinopathy and give early warnings about heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's,” he said in the release. “With MedArrive, we will be able to seamlessly extend screenings into homes and hopefully start making a dent in the large percentage of people who are missing their exams.”

For information about partnering with Spect, visit https://getspect.com.