About diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a neurovascular complication of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes that can lead to reduced or complete vision loss. It is currently the second cause of blindness in Spain in global terms, and the first in young adults of active working age. In Catalonia, it is estimated that it affects 8% of the population over 15 and 20% of people over 65, which represents an estimated volume of more than 630,000 cases.

Tender publication (9/10/2024)

On 9 October 2024 the tender ‘AI-based solutions for the prevention of retinopathy’ was published on the Catalan Public Procurement Services Platform (link here).

The deadline for submission of tenders is 11 November 2024 at 13:00h.

Publication of the bases (09/01/23)

Solutions based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support the Diabetic Retinopathy process in the field of primary care. Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) – Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU

The Health Quality and Assessment Agency of Catalonia (AQuAS) has published the information and the basis of the consultation open to the market to grasp the availability in the market, or the possibilities that the market can develop, of solutions based on Intelligence Artificial support for the process of Diabetic Retinopathy integrated and interoperable in the field of Primary Care of the Integral Health System of Public Use of Catalonia (SISCAT).

The main objectives, but not the only ones, of these solutions are: to determine the risk of diabetic patients to develop Diabetic Retinopathy and, if this is the case, to determine the eye injury and the degree of the injury of the patients, through access to a set of clinical data and the analysis of medical images (retinographies).

The main benefits that are intended to be achieved with the future implementation of these solutions are: improving current screenings, increasing population coverage and customizing the intervals between tests according to the risk conditions of the patients; reduce interconsultations with the ophthalmologist to resolve doubtful cases; detect in advance the number of serious injuries, reducing the number of treatments related to these avoided injuries; avoid unnecessary trips of the population to health centers.

Entities interested in participating have until January 19, 2023 (10 calendar days following publication) to send the documentation indicated in the rules.

Act of presentation of the bases of the Open Market Consultation (9/01/2023)

On January 9, 2023, the details of the basis for the development of the market consultation will be presented. The event took place in Barcelona and can be seen again in the following video: