By Sarah McGoldrick

Technology is moving at a rapid pace in the eye industry. Lenses are being developed to help people see with the same clarity
as surgery, but helping people find the right lenses can be as difficult as the eye conditions they face.
Menicon has been working to help eyecare professionals better identify eye conditions in an effort to provide the best care and lens technology available.
The result has been a revolutionary step in chair-side diagnosis and treatment with CAPTIV8.
Giving eyecare professionals 3D imagery and the ability to delve deeper to change how diagnosis and treatment is done.
“Practitioners often don’t have a lot of time to go through discussions on ocular complications,” said David Moreira, VP of Marketing for Menicon America.
He added it is also difficult to explain complex eye conditions through verbalization or on paper.
The CAPTIV8 chair-side module allows both the eyecare professional and the patient to see the eye issue through a variety of images and graphics.
Once a condition is brought up on the screen various sub-menus allow for more explanation such as aetiology, complications, treatment and other related diseases or conditions.
Moreira believes the visualization will help patients better retain the information they receive.
“The format and content is designed to clearly understand what the doctor has found,” said Moreira.
The eyecare professional can then print or email the information to the patient or other care provider for reference as treatment begins.
Practices can add their website, logo and customized colourization to the site where the 3D animations can be viewed to create a sense of branding.
Viewers of the videos are given the option to share what they have learned on Facebook and Twitter without releasing personal
information.
Based on the customization of the videos, patients can also use the software to book an appointment.
Practices can use their ‘dashboard’ in the backend of the software to gain metrics such as how many animations have been viewed and how many shares and recommendations have been made.
The software allows unprecedented access to the behind-the-scenes marketing information not traditionally available to individual practices.
The software offers full length animations rather than just still shots which give a better view and understanding of a particular health concern.
The images and video can also be customized to provide a personal view of what is going on with a patients eyes.
As research and development continues in the industry, new information is regularly added.
“The developers are constantly adding animations, at approximately one per month,” said Moreira adding Menicon is working with the industry to ensure information is both up to date and relevant to eyecare providers.
The information can be viewed on a traditional computer or iPad.
He said Menicon wanted to provide the industry with a full suite of services so all the information needed to complete an assessment and diagnosis would be in one place and easily shared.
For the program’s Waiting Room mode, specific animations, slides or other media can be put into a playlist so patients in the waiting room can learn about basic or advanced eye conditions while waiting to be seen. The animations are fully captioned with a voiceover for greater understanding and explanation.
“This is a way to engage patients in the waiting room and helps initiate better communication,” said Moreira.
Once information has been sent via email, the patient can then send it to family to help them better understand what is happening with their health needs.
This creates an inclusive and broad approach to medical care so that support exists at all levels of care.
“It’s an all encompassing kind of software and it is enhancing communication between patient and the eye practice,” said Moreira.
Example slides are available on the CAPTIV8 website. To learn more about the CAPTIV8 software visit www.captiv8america.com.