How to Choose an EHR for Eye Care: Try Cellma

The need for efficient, specialised electronic health records (EHRs) in Ophthalmology has never been greater. As one of the busiest specialties in the NHS, Ophthalmology handles over 500,000 operations annually and 7.5 million outpatient appointments according to GIRFT, NHS. With 3.4 million vision outpatient attendances in 2019/20 alone and an ageing population – 51% of patients were over 65 according to RCOphth Vision Atlas, the pressure is mounting. 
 
So, how to choose an EHR for ophthalmology that keeps up with the speed and sophistication of contemporary care? Begin with a system that knows ophthalmic workflows, incorporates NHS data standards, and enhances patient and clinician outcomes. That’s where Cellma comes in. 

NHS Ophthalmology: Big Volume, Bigger Challenges 

From cataract surgery to diabetic eye disease, ophthalmology services are deeply rooted in the NHS. But the increasing patient load, ageing population (over 65 make up 51% of all vision outpatients), and a shortage of ophthalmologists, with over 632,000 people on waiting lists, have stretched departments to the limit according to Macular Society. 

NHS Integrations & Guidelines Followed by Cellma 

In learning how to choose an EHR for ophthalmology, NHS compatibility is not a choice. Cellma is fully compatible with NHS systems, pathways, and standards to enable compliant, coordinated care. 

NHS Integrations 

• Spine & GP Connect: Immediate access to NHS numbers and secure data sharing 

• e-RS: Real-time referral management 

• PACS/RIS: Immediate access to ophthalmic imaging like OCT & MRI 

• National Pathways: Support for DESP, glaucoma monitoring, and more 
   

Data Sets Supported 

• CSDS, CDS, NOD, ECDS, and DID, reliable reporting and reimbursement as a matter of course
  
  

Regulations & Compliance 

• UK GDPR, DSPT, DCB 0129/0160, Cyber Essentials+ 

• CQC Compliant: Conforms to standards of Health and Social Care Act 2008 for regulated ophthalmic services          . 

• FHIR & HL7 for interoperability 

• WCAG 2.1 AA for accessible patient portals 

• NHS Branding: Built to NHS visual identity specs 

• CIS2 and PDS integrations
  
  

Wondering how to select an EHR for ophthalmology? Begin with one that can deliver to NHS and CQC expectations, Cellma is designed to do so.  

Challenges Facing Ophthalmology Departments 

The challenge of selecting an EHR for ophthalmology begins by solving fundamental clinical issues: 

• Chronic disease management such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and AMD 

• Tracking treatments from cataracts to intravitreal injections 

• Diagnostic report delays from imaging and lab 

• Lost follow-ups and paper-based processes 
   

Cellma is designed to solve these with clear tools and end-to-end patient tracking. 

Cellma for Ophthalmology

While researching how to choose an EHR for ophthalmology, Cellma stands out by anticipating and exceeding the evolving needs of modern eye care. It’s fully interoperable, NHS-approved, and clinically enhanced, from high-volume cataract clinics to intricate glaucoma scenarios. With smart workflows, imaging embedded, and precise data monitoring, Cellma simplifies ophthalmic care to make it safer, quicker, and better coordinated. 

Clinical-Grade Modules in Cellma for Ophthalmology 

Patient Admission and Scheduling (PAS) 
Effective clinic management is paramount in ophthalmology, particularly when it comes to managing high volumes of patients. Cellma’s PAS module facilitates automated appointment scheduling and follow-ups, which are critical in the management of long waiting lists in conditions like cataract surgery and glaucoma management. Clinical features are: 

• Automated routine eye exam scheduling and intricate follow-ups like laser surgery or intraocular injections for AMD patients. 
  Remind systems that patients at risk of missing appointments, like those with glaucoma, need frequent checks of IOP to avoid permanent damage to the optic nerve. 

• Integrated management of referrals for patients requiring multidisciplinary treatment, e.g., referrals to neuro-ophthalmic services for conditions like optic neuritis or cranial nerve palsies.
  
  

Electronic Patient Record (EPR) 
Cellma’s EPR module is ophthalmology-focused, allowing clinicians to see the overall status of the patient’s eye health. For example, the module includes templates for detailed evaluations of conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and uveitis. Key features include: 

• Organised fields for IOP (Intraocular Pressure) measurement, OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) scans, and visual field tests to enable the treatment of glaucoma and optic neuropathies. 

• Customisable assessment templates for common anterior segment disorders such as dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and corneal ulcers, including image and severity score fields for tracking condition progression. 

• Surgical planning for cataract procedures, with pre- and post-operative notes that capture outcomes and potential complications. 

• Combination of clinical imaging to improve diagnosis of retinal conditions such as diabetic macular oedema (DME), retinal detachment, and diabetic retinopathy, where all patient information is at your fingertips in one record.
   

Lab Integration 
Cellma’s Lab Integration allows important diagnostic findings to be easily integrated into the patient record. This is necessary with diseases requiring laboratory work, such as uveitis (where blood work might be required to detect systemic autoimmune conditions) or ocular cancers associated with malignancies like ocular lymphoma. Important features include: 

• Direct integration with laboratory systems to pull serology reports, for example, autoimmune markers or HLA typing, for systemic eye diseases, such as sarcoidosis or Sjögren’s syndrome. 

• Real-time updating for genetic testing results for retinitis pigmentosa and other inherited retinal diseases to direct genetic history logs and visual field data into treatment decisions. 

• Full integration with microbiology systems for corneal ulcer cultures monitoring and antimicrobials sensitivity, to ease infectious keratitis management.
  
  

Integration of Imaging 
Imaging in ophthalmology is essential in providing proper diagnosis and monitoring accurate, and the imaging integration of Cellma facilitates seamless connectivity to existing diagnostic systems. Be you treating macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma, Imaging Integration ensures all images and diagnostic information are incorporated in the patient record. This’s how it works: 

• PACS and RIS integration for storage and retrieval of images from OCT, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, to enable clinicians to track progression of disease and response to treatment. 

• Annotation software allows accurate marking of findings, including retinal lesions, rashes, or corneal scars, to note changes in skin condition due to HIV-associated retinopathy or syphilis. Annotated images may be referenced in follow-up visits, enhancing diagnostic accuracy.  

• Visual field overlays for optic neuropathies and glaucoma, with automatic alarm for abnormal visual field threshold change, enabling early intervention.
  
  

Document Management 
Cellma’s document management module is the foundation for streamlined, paper-free ophthalmic practices, keeping all clinical records safe and readily available. This is particularly important in keeping complete records for long-term diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Major features include: 

• Dynamic patient records for monitoring the outcome of surgeries, like cataract surgery (with pre- and post-op evaluations and visual acuity scores), and intraocular lens (IOL) implant information.
• Versioning and document marking to monitor revision of treatment strategies for retinal vein occlusion or diabetic retinopathy so that all of the clinicians in a patient’s care are working from the most recent information.
  
  

Communication Module 
Good communication is key to the management of complex eye conditions that tend to need multidisciplinary treatment. Cellma’s communication module facilitates information exchange between ophthalmologists, optometrists, neurologists, and other specialists. This is especially critical in neuro-ophthalmology, where patients can present with conditions such as optic neuritis or papilledema, which need urgent referral. Features include: 

• Secure, real-time messaging for clinicians to consult on cases, such as the sharing of MRI results for neuro-ophthalmic disorders. 

• Referral management to coordinate specialist appointments, e.g., with the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) for diabetic retinopathy patients. 

• Automated alerts for patients who need follow-up after imaging (e.g., OCT scans or fundus photography) to ensure that early signs of macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy are promptly addressed. 
   

BI & Reporting Module 
Cellma’s Business Intelligence (BI) and Reporting Module is essential for ophthalmic clinics looking to maintain high standards of care, while also complying with national standards such as the National Ophthalmology Database (NOD) and Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT). This module is particularly beneficial when it comes to auditing cataract surgery outcomes and reporting on diabetic eye disease management. Key features include: 

• Customised audit reports for cataract surgeries, glaucoma management, and retinal screening outcomes to track quality metrics and identify areas for improvement. 

• Outcome tracking for surgical procedures, including visual acuity changes, which is vital for cataract surgeries and post-op management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 

• Compliance-ready data for NHS audits, ensuring that reports are easily accessible for national ophthalmology benchmarking and performance tracking.
  
  

Patient Portal 
The patient portal in Cellma increases patient engagement, especially for conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, allowing the patient to take care of their eye health efficiently. It supports features like scheduling and reminders for appointments for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, access to results of tests such as OCT scans and surgical results, and secure messaging for convenient interaction with ophthalmologists for conditions like dry eye syndrome or post-surgical follow-up. In addition, medication reminders guarantee compliance with treatment protocols for chronic diseases such as glaucoma and AMD. 

Referral Portal 
The Referral Portal within Cellma simplifies the referral process, allowing it to be simple for ophthalmologists to collaborate with other experts in care planning. It assists in streamlined management of referrals for conditions like papilledema and optic neuritis, facilitates diabetic retinopathy patients’ referrals to the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP), and offers electronic referral tracking to help no patient slip through the cracks, especially in conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration. 

Cellma’s AI Integrations 

Cellma, the best EHR software, embeds AI as a means to enhance ophthalmology management and increase the quality of care. There are certain superb capabilities, including NLP capabilities and AI-driven alertness on drug interactions, which provide Cellma a significant advantage. 

• Natural Language Processing: NLP facilitates healthcare professionals to process unstructured text-based data, like patient histories and clinical records. NLP brings out the key information simultaneously for instant decision-making and diagnosis. NLP also assists in identifying trends and key insights that assist in recognising early warning signs and enhancing the efficiency of handling more complex cases. 

• AI-Driven Drug Interaction Prompts: Cellma, ranked number one in EHR software, offers AI-enabled interaction alerts with cross-matched patient histories within an up-to-date database and automatically marks possible drug conflicts. Therefore, it reduces opportunities for the occurrence of adverse drug events and improves patient safety through more individually focused treatment.
  
  

All these capabilities of AI will make the delivery of healthcare more efficient and precise, along with better ophthalmology care and enhanced patient safety. 

Maintaining Data Privacy with Cellma 

Healthcare security is of the utmost importance, and Cellma, the leading EHR software features cutting-edge security features that protect patient data. Cellma supports GDPR compliance through data protection and secure access measures. Role-based access, multi-factor authentication, and encryption methods secure sensitive health information but are made available for proper staff. 
 
The decision around how to choose an EHR for ophthalmology isn’t easy, but with growing patient demand, clinical complexity, and strict NHS standards, you need a platform that ticks every box. 
 
Cellma is purpose-built for high-volume ophthalmology departments. It’s clinically rich, NHS-compliant, secure, and intuitive, for everyone from reception to retina specialists. 
 
Ready to see Cellma in action?