Queen's University and Banbridge optometrist partner to bring AI-based AMD detection to the high street

The Banbridge Chronicle has featured the work of I-SCREEN partner Jill McKeown, an optometrist whose practice is helping detect age-related macular degeneration (AMD) earlier through the project's community-based screening model.

AMD affects the central part of the retina and is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people over 55. In Northern Ireland, an estimated 23.4% of people over 55 have some form of AMD, with a smaller proportion experiencing the sight-threatening late stage. Because early AMD often progresses without noticeable symptoms, many cases go undetected until vision is already affected.

Through I-SCREEN, high-street optometry practices use their existing optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanners together with a unique AI-powered platform to identify signs of AMD and assess the risk of progression. This shared-care approach empowers primary care optometrists to spot the disease sooner and refer patients for timely treatment where needed.

The project in Northern Ireland is led by Professor Ruth Hogg of the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University Belfast, together with Professor Julie-Anne Little of Ulster University, in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Clinical Research Facility.

Professor Hogg said the project is dedicated to addressing a silent threat, using AI and cloud technology alongside imaging devices and optometric expertise to make early AMD detection accessible to people on their local high street.

Jill McKeown said it was a fantastic opportunity to recruit patients onto the study, adding that anyone showing even early signs of AMD would be closely monitored for progression and given prompt treatment where needed.

The coverage reflects how I-SCREEN's network of community-based optometrists is bringing early AMD detection closer to patients across Europe.

Read full article here.