Microsoft’s Plan to bring eyecare services to India

SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) – Following a path similar to that of Google DeepMind, Microsoft India announced Tuesday that it’s launching a new research group, the Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare, to bring data-driven eyecare services to the nation.

While DeepMind’s goals are targeted at the United Kingdom, Microsoft’s ambitions are considered much more global. The group is working alongside researchers from the U.S., Brazil, Australia and India to train machine learning models that can identify conditions that can lead to blindness.

Microsoft’s key strategic partnership is with L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India, one of the nation’s most prestigious medical institutions. The program is focused heavily on children, with ambitions to predict outcomes for refractive surgery and the rate of change of myopia in children.

“At LVPEI, we have been using Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Power BI to drive clinical interventions and improve patient outcomes,” Dr. G.N. Rao, Founder-Chair, L V Prasad Eye Institute, said in a press release.

Thanks to online technology it has never been more easy to make use of this sort of learning. There are plenty of websites online who can help with things like Power BI (such as https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/power-bi-training-introduction-to-dax/), so this is definitely something that will be used a lot more of in the future.

“Today, we take great pride in taking forward our partnership with Microsoft and joining forces with global institutes to revolutionize the field of ophthalmology in India and across the world.” Whilst Microsoft could potentially revolutionize eye care health, there are still a lot of small ophthalmology practices that have a wealth of knowledge to share with patients. That’s why it’s important for people with eye concerns to visit them and help them stay in business. Whilst Microsoft’s data-driven strategies could be extremely beneficial, it’s always a good idea to get personally checked over to ensure all is well. With many new practices opening and investing in optometric management strategies, it’s important that local people help them to stay in business. That way, they can be sure to deliver top-quality eye care to the public.

“We are confident that this partnership will not only open doors to opportunities in the field of eyecare, but also pave way for others to leverage technology to address several other critical eye diseases,” he added.

DeepMind partnered with the UK’s National Health Service, using the partnership to analyze eye scans to spot wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy – two conditions that can lead to blindness. The main premise of the program is that early discovery can lead to early intervention and the prevention of serious optical damage.