The only computer with the scan on it
The practice invested in an OCT and a fundus camera. Scans are taken in the pre-test room and reviewed by the optometrist, who walks over to the instrument PC to look, or asks for a printout. When the patient comes back next year and the optometrist wants to compare, the scan is on the instrument's software, under a patient name typed slightly differently, and the test room has no access to it.
When the instrument is replaced, or the PC fails, the practice discovers how much history lived only on that machine.
Why images stay stranded
Imaging devices come with their own software and database, built to capture and view images, not to share them. Practice systems hold the record, but may only accept attachments by manual upload. Patient details are entered twice, once in each system, and do not always match. So filing an image properly means exporting it, renaming it and uploading it by hand, which rarely happens on a busy day.
Some device makers offer integration options or a central viewing product. Where those fit your setup, we will say so rather than build around them.
What stranded images cost
| Issue | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Images only on the instrument PC | Not visible from the test room |
| Name mismatches between systems | Previous scans hard to find |
| No backup of the device database | History lost if the PC fails |
| Printouts as the sharing method | Paper handling and poor image quality |
| Referrals need images attached | Manual export each time |
The optometrist's comparison with previous images is a large part of the value of the scan, and it is exactly the part that becomes awkward when images are stranded.
How we connect images to the record
- We check how your devices can export images and reports: standard imaging formats, PDF reports or a watched export folder.
- Patient identity is taken from the practice system at the pre-test stage, where possible passed to the device, so both use the same identifiers.
- Each export is picked up automatically, matched to the patient and visit, and filed to the record in your practice system through its API or document storage.
- Uncertain matches go to a short queue for a person to confirm, rather than being filed by guess.
- Optometrists can open current and previous images for a patient from any test room, side by side.
- Images are stored and backed up according to your practice's retention and security policy, not only on the instrument PC.
- For referrals, relevant images can be attached in one step.
We do not interpret images or suggest findings. The link makes sure the optometrist can see what the device captured, for the right patient, wherever they are working.
After the link is in place
Images appear in the record without anyone exporting them. The optometrist compares this year's scan with last year's in a few seconds, from their own room. Replacing the instrument PC stops being a risk to the patient history. And referrals that need images go out complete.
Multi-branch practices get a further benefit: a patient scanned in one branch can be reviewed in another.
The setup is usually done one device at a time, starting with the one optometrists most often want to look back at. Each device's export is tested with a handful of real patients before it goes live, so the matching rules are proven on your own data rather than assumed.
Does this sound familiar?
- OCT or fundus images can only be viewed on the instrument PC.
- Optometrists walk between rooms to look at scans.
- Finding a previous scan depends on how the name was typed.
- Images are not backed up anywhere else.
- Attaching images to referrals is a manual export.