Automated bulk classification of glaucoma severity and progression using perimetry results

Automated bulk classification of glaucoma severity and progression using perimetry results. Download PDF Explore related subjects Discover the latest articles and news in related subjects. Eye diseases Health care Health services Medical research Optic nerve diseases Ophthalmology is the busiest outpatient specialty with hundreds of thousands of NHS patients waiting for diagnosis or treatment, and an even greater number waiting for follow-up appointments [ 1 ].

Across the United Kingdom, glaucoma services are among the most under strain due to high prevalence of disease and suspicious clinical features, with a consequent requirement for longitudinal monitoring [ 2 ]. New approaches to tackling backlogs are needed, such as through pre-appointment triage to prioritise allocation of scarce clinic capacity. In one previous study, glaucoma doctors reviewing patients waiting for follow-up appointments were able to delay or discharge up to 40% of cases, and cancel up to 35% of planned visual field tests [ 3 ].

Clinical review requires expert appraisal of multimodal data from the clinical notes, imaging, and perimetry results. Perimetry data is key as it demonstrates whether glaucomatous loss of vision has occurred or is progressing, but is vulnerable to subjectivity. We developed the Glaucoma Field Defect Classifier (GFDC) to mitigate this issue by applying standardised criteria for grading the severity of glaucomatous visual field defects [ 4 ].

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