Ophthalmology – an eye‑opening pilot project in Örebro

A need for consolidated information and unified workflows

The background to the project lies in a well‑known challenge within ophthalmology care: many different instruments generate imaging data that is stored in separate systems. This leads to variations in workflows, manual steps, and difficulties in following a patient’s condition over time. The region’s ambition was therefore to consolidate all ophthalmic examinations into a single platform, where image viewing, storage, and diagnostic support are integrated in the same way the region has long worked within radiology.

Sectra Ophthalmology Imaging addresses this challenge by bringing all images from the ophthalmology clinic into a unified solution. By presenting all relevant images in a shared view under a single login, the solution provides a fast and comprehensive overview of the patient’s ocular status. The functionality is built on the Sectra Enterprise Platform, designed for efficient, secure, and interoperable access to imaging data and documents. The platform also enables natural collaboration across imaging disciplines, supporting the growing demand for integrated diagnostics.

A stable technical implementation and clear improvements in everyday workflows

The shared imaging platform enables staff to work in the same way across all three ophthalmology clinics in the region. “For patients, it no longer matters where they are examined. We have access to the complete imaging history directly in Sectra PACS, which makes it easier to make the right clinical decisions,” says Niklas Karlsson.

Johnny Eriksson Medical Technology, August Thyr Medical Technology, Mats Berglund Medical Technology, Susanna Ask – Unit Manager, Ophthalmology Clinic, Petra Hedlund Head of Ophthalmology, Kristina Sjökvist Jansson Ophthalmic Nurse, Niklas Karlsson Ophthalmologist, Ingegerd Stenlund – Ophthalmic Nurse

From a technical perspective, the implementation has been straightforward, as the solution is built on Sectra’s proven technology platform, already designed to handle considerably larger and more demanding imaging volumes than those typically generated within ophthalmology care. The region also notes that network requirements are low and that the solution remains stable even when used for remote work. “It is the same system we use for CT and MR. Everything runs reliably, even when working from home,” says Johnny Eriksson. The implementation has been carried out across the entire region, and all three hospitals now operate using the same workflow. This creates the conditions for consistent care, simpler internal collaboration, and a more coherent user experience. Having all information consolidated in a single solution allows ophthalmologists to quickly switch between different imaging types and easily obtain a complete overview of the patient’s condition, while also enabling other specialties to access ophthalmic images when relevant.

To support smooth workflows, patient scheduling information from the electronic medical record serves as the foundation. A scheduled visit at a clinic makes the patient available in the worklists of all devices at that clinic. This reduces manual entry of patient names and personal identity numbers, saving some time and reduces the risk of typos but, more importantly, ensuring more consistent information that is easier to find.

“The system automatically creates the correct examinations for each patient and only displays those that are compatible with the specific equipment. This eliminates many of the manual steps that previously took time and could result in errors,” explains Johnny Eriksson from the region’s medical engineering department.

Looking ahead and a Nordic innovation

Pontus Svärd, Global Product Manager Ophthalmology

Pontus Svärd, Product Manager at Sectra, describes the project as the starting point of a broader development journey within ophthalmology. “This collaboration has given us valuable insights into how workflows in an ophthalmology clinic can best be structured and standardized. Region Örebro has demonstrated how to modernize and consolidate what has traditionally been a fragmented field, and we see great potential to continue building on this with additional workflows and more specialized use cases.”

Region Örebro now continues to evaluate new opportunities within ophthalmology care, including dedicated workflows for screening programs and expanded access across clinical specialties. The experience from this pilot project clearly demonstrates that a shared imaging platform delivers both quality and efficiency—and that a unified ophthalmology workflow can become just as natural as it already is within radiology.