Digital screening using artificial intelligence helps to detect diabetic retinopathy early and direct ophthalmological care to those who need it. Such programmes, carried out by nurses without the involvement of doctors, have already proved effective: they reduce costs, ease the burden on specialised facilities, and make examinations more accessible.
Name in original language
CheckEye – цифровий скринінг на основі ШІ
Initiative overview
Background:
In healthcare facilities in Odesa and Chernihiv regions, more than 800 patients have already undergone screening to detect the early risk of vision loss. Conducted as part of a pilot digital screening project for diabetic retinopathy, the initiative enables nurses to take fundus photographs and analyse them with AI, ensuring early intervention and reducing the workload of specialists. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that damages the blood vessels of the retina and can lead to vision loss.
Impact:
- As part of the pilot, family doctors referred patients with type I or II diabetes, or suspected undiagnosed type II diabetes, for screening.
- Nurses used special cameras to take non-dilated eye images and uploaded them into the AI system, CheckEye, which returned results within 30 seconds. Of 873 screened patients, 651 showed no signs of diabetic retinopathy, while 222 were referred to ophthalmologists.
- The pilot confirms that digital screening improves early detection and helps to preserve vision.
The project is supported by the Ministry of Health using the CheckEye digital platform.
Name of responsible organisation (in English)
Ministry of Health of Ukraine
