IOBnet – Exchange platform for ophthalmologists

High Level Software Innovation Medical technology Web platform

The IOBnet platform offers ophthalmologists the opportunity to exchange anonymised cases with experts at any time. By creating the platform, SCS is helping ophthalmologists in Switzerland to share knowledge and thus also patients.

  • Initial situation

    More and more diagnoses by ophthalmologists are being supported by imaging techniques such as optical coherence tomography. Not all doctors are equally familiar with the visual characteristics of clinical pictures.

  • SCS solution

    Together with a design team, SCS developed a web platform on which doctors can upload individual cases anonymously and then discuss them with experts.

  • Added value

    Ophthalmologists receive a second opinion quickly and with a low barrier to entry in order to make a reliable diagnosis.

Project insights

In many medical fields, especially in image-based diagnosis, there is a need for expert opinions and dialogue within the medical profession. Unfortunately, obtaining a second opinion is usually time-consuming, as the patient physically visits a second doctor. This is time-consuming for the patient and delays the diagnosis.

Example of an OCT B-scan of a healthy retina. The depression in the centre of the image corresponds to the fovea, the site of best visual acuity. (Image © Priv.-Doz. Dr Peter Maloca, IOB and University of Basel)

The use of modern technologies means that an expert opinion is just a few mouse clicks away. There is no need to visit a second expert, diagnoses and treatment decisions are made promptly. This facilitates dialogue between doctors and gives them the opportunity to improve the quality of their diagnosis.

The Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) has set itself the goal of improving the treatment of patients with eye diseases through innovative methods.

SCS has delivered a customised, web-based platform for professional exchange for the IOB. This enables OCT scans (tomographies of the eye) to be made accessible to an expert and a second opinion to be obtained in a simple and secure manner. Data from various widely used OCT devices can be uploaded and presented on a user-friendly web interface.

Screenshots of the IOBnet platform

A Swiss provider is used for hosting and a modern software architecture according to the latest security standards and corresponding frameworks were used for development.

The platform will be expanded in the future. For example, a collection of instructive and exemplary cases for typical diagnoses is being considered. In addition, ophthalmologists could help researchers to collect data for research into rare diseases.

Customer feedback

“The SCS team has supported me professionally for years in research and diagnostics with the latest technologies. I can recommend the SCS without reservation, as it provides the best.” – Priv.-Doz. Dr Peter Maloca”

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