iCare USA’s parent company, Revenio, has announced its acquisition of Oculo, an Australian company dedicated to telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and clinical communications. Oculo's software platform allows doctors to communicate and exchange clinical correspondence -- such as patient referrals -- securely and instantly, enabling faster, more efficient patient care. The software can also transfer clinical data and images in a secure and HIPAA-compliant way replacing FAX communications. iCare USA has the pleasure of introducing Oculo to the U.S. just as the Australian clinical communications company has fully integrated its newest feature – telemedicine – into its platform. iCare Oculo's telemedicine feature enables clinicians to arrange high-quality, completely secure video consultations from wherever there is internet.
With this acquisition, iCare is taking a major step forward in the rapidly growing areas of eye-related telehealth and technology-enhanced eye care. iCare eye diagnostic solutions include intraocular pressure measuring devices, fundus imaging devices and perimeters for diagnosing and monitoring glaucoma and retinal disease pathology.
"We are excited about this acquisition and the opportunity to improve eye care around the world together," said Dr. Kate Taylor, Co-founder and former CEO of Oculo, now Director, Eyecare Solutions, "By facilitating seamless communication among doctors and providing a virtual platform for interaction between eye care providers and their patients, we can help deliver better outcomes to patients."
The iCare Oculo platform bridges data silos in healthcare by allowing doctors to share valuable patient information such as imaging, test results, and referrals instantly and securely, regardless of location or EMR. "The Oculo platform provides an excellent solution for sharing data between referring doctors," said Michael V. Boland, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School and Medical Director of Practice Innovation, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear. "The ability to share high quality or original versions of tests and patient data is an appealing advance that has long been needed," he added.
iCare Oculo's user-friendly and reliable telemedicine platform has been a benefit to eye care providers who've had access to it during these unprecedented times when quarantine and social distancing mandates often made appointment scheduling challenging. Tyson Allard, OD, who is in private practice with True Vision Optometric Group, which has three offices throughout Western Oklahoma, describes Oculo's advantages this way: "When COVID-19-quarantine rules went into effect, we needed a way to connect with patients that wasn't face to face, we looked into multiple telehealth solutions and Oculo stood out above the others," he recalls. "Many of our patients are ranchers who live in rural areas – many are not tech savvy and inadequate cell phone service is common in these areas. We wanted something straightforward and easy to use. With Oculo, I can connect with patients who are hours away. We have found that the program is easy to integrate into practice and simple for our patients to use."
Valerie Kattouf, OD, Associate Professor and Chief of the Lewenson Pediatrics and Binocular Vision Service, at the Illinois College of Optometry, also appreciates iCare Oculo's telemedicine application. "So many of my patients are grateful for the opportunity to have an appointment without having to come to the clinic. This is especially true of parents of young children who value not having to bring their children in for every visit. An in-person visit isn't always necessary – there's not always a need to re-examine or remeasure. Using Oculo is often all that is needed to check in on progress and decide on next steps," she said. "The Oculo telemedicine program allows me to feel very connected to the patients – even if we're not in the same room. Another benefit is that it's surprisingly easy for patients to access with a simple click of a button."
iCare's guiding principle is that ophthalmic care must be accessible, effortless, and reliable, and the Oculo acquisition furthers that goal. Oculo's fundamental mission to connect optometrists and ophthalmologists with each other and their patients dovetails with iCare's commitment to provide eye doctors with the latest solutions for comprehensive screening, diagnostics and monitoring of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. To learn more about iCare Oculo, visit https://us.icare-world.com/pculo-pr