EyeCheq announced that Jai G. Parekh, MD, MBA, FAAO, has joined the company as executive vice president and chief innovation officer (CIO).
Give me some background on EyeCheq first.
Founded in 2021 by current CEO Rashid Taher, MD, FAAO and CSO Ali Khoshnevis, OD, FAAO, the company is a tele-ophthalmology platform that has developed the first fully autonomous health and vision testing platform.
Its mission, according to the company, is to simultaneously screen at-risk populations for health issues and coordinate care with the appropriate healthcare providers.
How does it work?
EyeCheq’s device performs four tests to detect vision and health issues, including:
- Checking eye symptoms to identify any issues which might route to potential treatment options
- Checking vision via an eye chart test
- Identifying visual issues that are then referred to eye care providers
- Capturing a retinal picture to uncover potential health conditions that may affect vision and body
What advantages does it give eyecare practitioners?
The device requires no staff training or implementation time in order to screen patients—as the company promotes, it is fully autonomous. It also resolves the HEDIS/Star quality measures for diabetic retinal exams, and is affordable/reimbursable (dedicated CPT codes 92228, 92229).
Now tell me about Dr. Parekh.
With over 20 years of experience as an ophthalmic surgeon and industry leader, Parekh served as chief medical officer (CMO) of Global Eyecare at Allergan from 2015 until the company’s acquisition by AbbVie in 2020.
Other positions include CMO at 1-800-DOCTORS and chief operating officer (COO) at EyeTrans Technologies.
Why EyeCheq?
As Parekh stated in a news release, filling the large unmet need in early detection of blinding diseases—including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma—in asymptomatic patients is critical in helping prevent ocular morbidity.
The EyeCheq team “is working on anterior segment eye care as well, including refractive errors, such as myopia and astigmatism,” Parekh said.
Anything else?
According to the company’s CEO, Dr. Taher, Parekh’s passion for innovation and technology in the ophthalmic space and healthcare fully aligns with EyeCheq’s corporate strategy.