Geographic Atrophy (GA) Screening: Early Detection For Future Trial Recruitment

Millions of older adults navigate daily life with undiagnosed eye conditions, often due to a lack of accessible specialized care. When barriers like mobility and transportation stand in the way of a clinic visit, it creates a significant bottleneck for developing next-generation therapies.

Recent pilot data reveals a compelling alternative to the traditional patient-recruitment funnel. By bringing sophisticated diagnostic tools—including OCT imaging and dilated exams—directly into community settings, providers can surface pathology that would otherwise remain hidden. Beyond immediate clinical benefits, this "sourcing engine" model demonstrates how education and trust-building at the community level can transform a passive population into an engaged registry of pre-qualified participants. Shifting the diagnostic protocol from the clinic to the neighborhood doesn’t just improve health equity; it creates a repeatable, scalable pathway for identifying eligible patients for complex ophthalmic and systemic research.