Work Package 4: Harnessing AI for Early Detection of AMD in Community Eye Care

What Is the Community Screening Initiative?

A core element of the I-SCREEN project is the community screening programme, which is managed by the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO) through Work Package 4 (WP 4).

During routine eye appointments, patients are invited to have an eye scan (using OCT – Optical Coherence Tomography). These images are uploaded to a secure platform, reviewed by retina specialists at the Medical University of Vienna, and used to train an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that will help detect early signs of AMD.

This screening allows for faster feedback and, when needed, a referral to a specialist clinic for further diagnosis and treatment. It’s a practical, real-world solution designed to reduce delays and improve patient outcomes.

Towards a shift in care-sharing

By enabling opticians and optometrists to contribute to primary care through AI-based disease detection, I-SCREEN supports an important shift towards care-sharing between primary and specialist care

- Matjaž Mihelčič, Past President of ECOO and coordinator of Work Package 4

Focus of Work Package 4

WP 4, led by ECOO, is responsible for running the community screening activities. The goal is to collect and analyse 5.000 OCT images from patients aged 55 and older who still have good functional vision, attending participating optometry practices.

ECOO has recruited 21 optical and optometric sites in participating countries, who are linked to their respective partner clinics:

Universität Zürich (Switzerland)
Vista Augenklinik Binningen (Switerland)
Medical University of Vienna (Austria)
Ljubljana University Medical Centre (Slovenia)
Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (Spain)
Queen’s University Belfast (UK)

In addition, the clinical site in France (Dijon) has its own set-up to source the OCT images within its clinical setting and therefore also contributes to the study of WP4.

Trial Design and Methodology

The I-SCREEN trial follows a real-world, community-based design. All optometric sites were provided with clear guidance documents, training sessions, and in-person technical support to upload images to the platform built by RetinSight. All sites work closely with their partner clinics, which not only showcases inter-disciplinary cooperation but also creates a seamless patient pathway.

Once uploaded, images are reviewed by retina experts at the Medical University of Vienna, who provide feedback within five working days. If AMD is detected, the patient is invited for a follow-up appointment at the partner clinic. In case of any other disease detection, the patient is referred via the optical/optometric practice to their local ophthalmologist or ophthalmologist of their choice.

Ethics, Privacy, and Data Protection

Patient privacy and data protection are a top priority for I-SCREEN. All images and personal data are handled in line with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Data is securely transferred and stored, and only authorised healthcare professionals have access. Patients remain fully informed and give their consent before taking part in the project. Furthermore, the worked and associated study of WP4 has received ethics approval in each country through the various clinical partners.

Timeline

It is expected that the 5.000 OCT scans are completed across all participating scans by June 2026.

This data collection forms the foundation for the project to carry out its work on evaluating the usability of the AI tool to detect early signs of AMD in community eye care as a next step. This will be the key focus of WP4 in 2026 and 2027.

Funding of WP4

The I-SCREEN project is funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme under the EIC Pathfinder call, which is designed to support ground breaking innovations in deep-tech fields, promoting high-risk, high-reward research that addresses global challenges. These calls encourage visionary ideas with the potential for transformative impact, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and pioneering solutions.

As part of this call, ECOO has received funding for this project from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation (SERI).