OAKLAND, N.J. & MELBOURNE, Australia—Topcon Healthcare Solutions, a provider of software solutions for the eyecare industry based in Oakland, N.J., has formed a global partnership with Oculo, a provider of technology for clinical communications based in Melbourne, Australia. The partnership will combine the strengths of the Topcon Harmony and Oculo eyecare platforms. In a joint statement, the companies said that by joining forces, they will be able to integrate Topcon Harmony, an open source web-based data management application for connecting ophthalmic imaging devices regardless of manufacturer, with Oculo, a cloud-based network designed especially for health care practitioners “to share clinical information, referrals and other clinical correspondence. The partnership will draw on the key strengths of Harmony and Oculo to drive innovation and excellence in eyecare.”

Grant Schmid, vice president of sales and business development for THS, commented, “This new partnership is the perfect blend of technologies that will benefit both patients and clinicians. By bringing the two technologies together, we’re making it easier for patient data and associated images to make their way to referring doctors, ensuring that the patient data is securely transferred, and the attending clinician has everything relevant for patient care. This gives the eyecare provider a much clearer and more comprehensive picture of the patient’s case and facilitates diagnosis. It also saves time for patients and reduces waste by eliminating the need for unnecessary repeat exams.”

THS and Oculo noted that as software becomes more and more important in diagnosing eye disease, the development and integration of vendor-neutral applications, such as Harmony and Oculo, will be integral to the advancement of patient care. Their ability to operate in a secure, web-based and vendor-agnostic platform will be the key to the complete integration of patient data and electronic medical health records.

“We see real benefits to adding Oculo’s emphasis on communication between eyecare professionals to THS’s excellence in clinical image capture and management,” said Akifumi Baba, CEO of THS. “Together, we can improve triage, screening and teleophthalmology, as well as create a system that provides unprecedented opportunity for data insights.”

Dr. Kate Taylor, CEO of Oculo, added, “With seamless integration of images, clinical information and business insights, we can offer a unique combination of tools designed to improve both the quality and continuity of health care. Our shared goal is to create a system that eyecare providers love to use and that improves patient outcomes.”