FISA – "Fondo Italiano Scienze Applicate" (Bando FISA-2023)

TITLE
Ideation of a new Digital visor for Real-time, Multi-stakeholder Eye Screening: the starting point for an innovative ocular diseases prevention system.

Acronym: DREAMS

Principal Investigator: Alessandro Lambiase, MD, PhD, Department of Sense Organs, “Sapienza” University of Rome

Abstract
Background: WHO disclosed that at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have impaired vision due to either eye diseases, and approx. 50% of these cases could have been prevented. In Italy, over 1 million of visually impaired subjects have been reported. To overcame the deep disparity on the Regional eye disease healthcare offer, an effective eyecare system should integrate the scientific medical know-how with the digital technology innovation to obtain a tele-ophthalmological screening system 
Purpose: to develop an innovative Digital visor for REAl-time, Multi-stakeholder eye Screening system (DREAMS) to improve the coverage, quality, efficiency and accessibility of eye care 
Method: The project is planned for a period of 3 years and will be divided in 9 main activities ranging from level TRL 1 to TRL 8. To reach the project goal, University Sapienza (PI), University Tor Vergata, G.B.Bietti Eye Foundation and New Changer srl, a private ICT Company, are included. The target diseases of screening will be: refractive errors, motility eye disorders, glaucoma and maculopathy. A digital eye screening system, able to test monocular vision acuity, heterophoria, stereoscopy, visual field and microperimetry will be developed. Clinical trials will be performed to validate the specificity and sensitivity of each test and the accuracy in detecting the target diseases in both affected patients and general population. These activities will allow to produce a final version of the digital eye Visor screening system able to deals with a central data center 
Expected result: DREAMS will lead to identify and validate a new screening system for diagnosis of most relevant and preventable ocular diseases 
Advantage expected: DREAMS will allow: i) improve accessibility and effectiveness of eye disease prevention care, ii) reduce waiting time in hospital; iii) obtain a digital dabase; iv) promote the active involvement of the Citizen in health education; v) reduce the social cost of diseases.