Specifications

18 I About the Program
The EyePACS Handbook: Tools for Program Success
The External Evaluation Process
As part of the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Initiative, the California HealthCare
Foundation has identified five broad areas of questions to evaluate the success of the
program in each site. The external program evaluation is being conducted by an
independent third party to ensure that it is impartial and complete. Results will be used
to guide policy development and program improvements. Below are the five areas to
be evaluated:
EVALUATION
TOPIC
INFORMATION NEEDED
1. Clinical
Outcomes
• Baseline number of diabetics and historical eye exam rates
• Number of teleophthalmology consults and findings of consults
• Recommendations for follow-up with specialist providers, kept appointments
and results of follow-up care
• Referrals to specialists for treatment
2. Program Costs
• Fees paid for teleophthalmology reads
• Staff time and costs associated with image capture and patient management
• Project supervision costs associated with implementation and ongoing
operations
• Other costs and uses of equipment
3. Clinic Workflow
• Practices and resources used to recruit patients for screenings
• Processes used for follow-up care and referral tracking
• Challenges and promising practices associated with screening and follow up
• Decision-maker thoughts on DRS sustainability
• Anticipated challenges and benefits associated with continuing to use this
technology after the end of the DRS Initiative
4. Primary Care
and Specialist
Provider
Relationship
• Names and contact information for primary care providers and eye specialists
• Primary care provider satisfaction with processes and outcomes
• Primary care provider assessment of change in relationship with eye specialists
• Uses to which eye specialists put this technology
• Eye specialist satisfaction with process and outcomes
• Eye specialist assessment of change in relationship with primary care provider
5. Revenues and
Reimbursement
• Payer mix (i.e., types of payers)
• Experiences with reimbursement by payer
The external evaluation is an important tool for us to make the DRS Initiative as
successful as possible. We will always keep in mind that your time is valuable and will
work hard to make the entire process as efficient as possible. If you have any comments
and suggestions, we encourage you to share them with the EyePACS team or the
external evaluator. You may contact the evaluation’s point person directly with any
questions you might have using the following contact information:
Bob Quade
916.718.8045
[e-mail]