Ophthalmic Images Now Available through the Academy IRIS® Registry, Curated at Scale by Verana Health’s VeraQ Engine

American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS^® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) extends data footprint by making available data from more than 3.5 million images of eyes.

Imaging data linked with electronic health record data to produce quality Ophthalmology Qdata modules and image-derived data variables for research use.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2022 — Verana Health^® announced today the introduction of ophthalmic images into its VeraQ^® population health data engine. The ~3.5 million images—spanning optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence, color fundus photography, and more—are being incorporated into the Academy IRIS^® Registry. This data is managed by Verana Health via VeraQ, where it is linked with de-identified electronic health record (EHR) data and curated with clinician oversight and artificial intelligence (AI), such as machine learning (ML), to produce quality data variables and Ophthalmology Qdata^® modules. These image-derived variables and Qdata modules—being introduced to the ophthalmic community at the Academy’s Annual Meeting (AAO 2022)—will be selectively available in the future to academic research institutions participating in the IRIS Registry Analytic Center Consortium and life sciences organizations, respectively.

The IRIS Registry is one of the largest single specialty databases in the world. In its role, Verana Health helps researchers turn this registry data into actionable insights to power medical advances by managing its real-world data from ingestion through to analytics. Nearly 16,000 clinicians contribute de-identified data to the IRIS Registry, which offers more than 9 years of longitudinal data on more than 75 million patients and 450 million patient visits.

While the existing EHR data includes important demographic and clinical information, augmenting it with EHR-imaging data—which Academy leadership has noted has only been maintained outside of text-based EHRs due to technical, not patient-related considerations—adds another valuable dimension. This provides objective structural representations of patients’ eyes that can help to confirm diagnoses, track disease progression, and evaluate the impact of a drug or device intervention.

“Integrating imaging with existing EHR data at scale will help to unlock an entire field of research in ophthalmology that hasn’t been possible before,” said Aaron Lee, MD, MSc, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Washington, the first academic medical center to incorporate its images to the IRIS Registry. “Applying artificial intelligence—such as machine learning and computer vision—to analyze imaging data facilitates deep learning, which could help us to uncover new associations and biomarkers of disease. Ultimately, this could drive research that enables better patient care and enhanced eye health for millions of people.”

Research into macular degeneration, geographic atrophy (GA), and the brain/eye connection are among the study areas for which the combined EHR and imaging data sets are likely to prove most useful. Verana Health has already developed proprietary algorithms on linked imaging-clinical datasets and recently presented promising research examining the development of an ML pipeline that automatically uses this combined and curated dataset to diagnose and stage patients with GA.

“The power of linking clinical data from existing EHRs with accompanying ophthalmic imaging data will help to drive deeper insights for academic and life sciences researchers. This has the opportunity to accelerate clinical trials and enhance clinical care, which could ultimately lead to therapeutic advancements for patients that help protect vision, brain health, and more,” said Verana Health CEO Sujay Jadhav. “I am especially excited about potential implications this presents for researchers looking at the brain/eye connection and multisystem diseases. As a strategic data and technology partner to specialty medical societies, Verana Health is uniquely positioned to facilitate real-world insights from multiple specialties and data sources—including EHRs, images, and claims—helping to provide a comprehensive view of the patient journey.”

In addition to sharing the value of imaging data in the IRIS Registry with researchers, Verana Health will present four research abstracts at the AAO 2022 meeting:

• Real-World Safety Analysis of an Intracanalicular Dexamethasone Insert Using the Academy’s IRIS Registry, conducted in collaboration with Ocular Therapeutix, will be presented by Robert T. Chang, MD, on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9:40 to 9:49 a.m. CT in Hall A of the Poster Theater and Lounge. This study evaluated real-world safety outcomes after cataract surgery with or without DEXTENZA (DEX) treatment using the Academy’s IRIS^® Registry. This study showed treatment with DEX in cataract surgery patients appears to have a safety profile in the real world that is consistent with the product’s label and may help inform post-market safety.
• Combining Axon Registry^® and IRIS^® Registry Data to Compare VA Between People with Neuromyelitis Optica and Multiple Sclerosis, presented by Heather Moss, MD, PhD, on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 10:09 to 10:20 a.m. CT in Room S405. This overlap analysis of the American Academy of Neurology Axon Registry and the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS Registry data showed how de-identified data from two registries enables examination of outcomes captured in the IRIS Registry for conditions that are diagnosed more frequently in the Axon Registry, demonstrating the utility of a multi-registry analysis.
• Real-World Patient Demographics and Clinical Characteristics of an Intracanalicular Dexamethasone Insert Using the Academy’s IRIS^® Registry, an ePoster, conducted in collaboration with Ocular Therapeutix, will be presented on demand by Michael Mbagwu, MD. This presentation explores the demographics and clinical comorbidities of real-world cataract surgery patients treated with and without DEX. Results identified demographics and pertinent clinical characteristics that can help inform practice patterns.
• Clinical Trial Emulation of the CATT Using Data from the IRIS^® Registry, an on demand ePoster presented by Durga Borkar, MD, MMCi. This poster presentation shows the process and results of efforts to emulate the pro re nata (p.r.n.) arms of the Comparison of AMD Treatment Trial (CATT) using de-identified data from a real-world population. A low percentage of patients met the trial criteria highlighting the potential insight RWD can provide on a broader patient population.

Additionally, Verana Health will deliver a talk on how advances are being made in the diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and discuss the relevance of the MIGS Patient-Reported Outcome Measure from Verana Health’s Perspective:

• Eyecelerator presentation: The Future of AMD, Thursday, Sept. 29 from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. CT in Room E354. Presented by Dr. Borkar, this talk focuses on 1) Verana Health’s advances in data capabilities through the curation of diagnostic images and 2) the impact of the IRIS Registry on the future diagnosis and treatment of AMD.
• Our Eyes on the Patient: Bringing Standardized Patient Experiences into Ophthalmic Device Evaluation and Everyday Clinical Practice, Symposium: SYM53, Saturday, Oct. 1, from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. CT in Room E350.

Verana Health at AAO 2022

Verana Health will be exhibiting at AAO 2022 in-person at booth 2314 and will demonstrate the IRIS Registry Quality Measures Dashboard for Academy members. The dashboard delivers metrics that can help measure the quality of care that ophthalmologists provide, evaluate opportunities for care improvement, and help practices report clinical quality data to the Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS) program. The IRIS Registry extracts and submits data for MIPS quality measures to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on behalf of practices that participate in the IRIS Registry via integrated EHR systems.

Verana Health will also showcase its clinical research solutions, including a new Academy-supported IRIS Registry initiative to onboard interested participants into a research network to advance data-driven clinical research and care. This Verana Research Network supports clinical investigators who conduct research at clinical trial sites and physicians who refer patients to trials. An overview of this network opportunity and demonstrations of its Verana Trial Connect (VTC) platform will take place at the Verana Health booth 2314 at 11:00 am CT Saturday, Oct. 1 through Monday, Oct. 3.

Click here to learn more or to schedule a meeting with Verana Health at AAO 2022.

About Verana Health
Verana Health^® is a digital health company elevating quality in real-world data. Verana Health operates an exclusive real-world data network of more than 20,000 healthcare providers (HCPs) and about 90 million de-identified patients, stemming from its strategic data partnerships with the American Academy of Ophthalmology^®, American Academy of Neurology, and American Urological Association. Using its clinician-informed and artificial intelligence-enhanced VeraQ^® population health data engine, Verana Health transforms structured and unstructured healthcare data into curated, quality data modules, Qdata^®. Verana Health’s Qdata helps power analytics solutions and software-as-a-service products for real-world evidence generation, clinical trials enablement, HCP quality reporting, and medical registry data management. Verana Health’s quality data and insights help drive progress in medicine to enhance the quality of care and quality of life for patients. For more information, visit www.veranahealth.com.

Verana Health Media Contact:
Megan Moriarty
Amendola Communications
913.515.7530
[email protected]