Collaborative Care Application Reference Project

Business context

In today's healthcare landscape, ophthalmologists and eye care specialists face increasing demands for efficient patient data access and seamless collaboration across care networks. Traditional systems often limit clinicians to physical locations, hindering timely decision-making and coordinated patient care. ZEISS Meditec AG recognized the critical need for a secure, accessible digital solution that would empower eye care professionals to deliver superior patient outcomes regardless of their location in real-time.

This project builds upon a successful partnership between ZEISS Digital Innovation and Carl Zeiss Meditec AG. Previously, we collaborated in creating an industry-leading ZEISS Health Data Platform supporting an integrated medical ecosystem designed to shape the digital transformation of healthcare. The ZEISS Collaborative Care solution leverages this proven innovative and comprehensive infrastructure.

Project overview

ZEISS Digital Innovation supported Carl Zeiss Meditec AG in translating the regulatory-confirmed concept of ZEISS Collaborative Care into a secure, browser-based application for ophthalmic care collaboration. The solution enables eye care professionals to refer, share and network within one application by streamlining referrals, supporting secure data exchange and strengthening collaboration across care networks.

As part of the project, we contributed end-to-end software engineering, software architecture, UX/UI design, requirements management, security modeling, quality assurance and agile delivery. This included implementing capabilities that allow providers to send, track and prioritize referrals, securely exchange images, reports and patient data, consult with peers on challenging cases and communicate in real time through chat and email notifications.

Our approach

Scrum excellence

We deployed a dedicated, end-to-end autonomous Scrum team that assumed ownership of the project lifecycle. This approach ensured:

Continuous delivery: Rapid iterations with frequent releases
Integrated responsibility: Single team accountability from concept to operations
Agile flexibility: Quick adaptation to evolving requirements and stakeholder feedback
Cross-functional expertise: Unified team handling all technical and operational aspects

Collaborative partnership mode

Our team worked closely with ZEISS Meditec stakeholders to:

Understand clinical workflows and user requirements
Balance regulatory compliance with user experience
Ensure seamless integration with existing ZEISS medical devices
Maintain the highest standards of data security and patient privacy

Laptop displaying ZEISS Collaborative Care platform with patient messages, diagnostic images and scan results.

The solution

ZEISS Collaborative Care: A sophisticated secure cloud web application that serves as a centralized hub for ophthalmic patient data, enabling.

Core capabilities:

Secure, browser-based solution enabling real-time data sharing among eye care professionals
Supports HL7 integration and complies with GDPR and HIPAA, ensuring secure structured data exchange
Enables encrypted messaging and coordinated referrals to improve clinical decision-making and patient care continuity.
Integrates smoothly with ZEISS digital tools like FORUM and CLINIC 360 for connected clinical workflows.

Our services

Software development: Full-stack development delivering both frontend user interfaces and backend services
User experience and user interface design: Clinical workflow optimization through intuitive, user-centered design
Data management: Secure handling, storage, and retrieval of sensitive medical data
Software architecture: Scalable cloud-native architecture supporting future growth and innovation
Requirements definition & management: Continuous alignment with clinical needs and regulatory standards
Technology consultancy and solution evaluation: Strategic guidance on technology selection and implementation approaches
Security modeling: Comprehensive security architecture protecting patient data integrity
Quality assurance: Rigorous testing ensuring reliability, performance, and compliance
Agile program and project management: Professional Scrum practices delivering predictable results and continuous improvement

Technical environment

Frontend: Modern Angular web application delivering responsive, intuitive user experiences
Backend: Robust Azure cloud infrastructure (including Azure Functions, API Management, and serverless components) ensuring scalability, reliability, and security
Architecture: Microservices-based design supporting modularity and continuous enhancement. Use of an app shell to optimize application speed, user engagement, and resilience. Separating the core user interface from dynamic data enables a minimal page shell to load instantly, making the application feel faster and improving the user experience.

Results

This project demonstrates dual partnership success: enabling ophthalmologists to collaborate seamlessly for improved patient outcomes, while combining ZEISS Meditec's clinical expertise with ZEISS Digital Innovation's technological consulting and software engineering excellence to create a scalable foundation for continued digital healthcare innovation. With measurable impact:

For healthcare professionals

Anytime case sharing: Enables healthcare professionals to share complex cases anytime for timely second opinions and collaborative treatment planning
Secure data transfer: Ensures secure data transfer through encrypted channels, maintaining compliance with GDPR and HIPAA regulations
Intuitive user interface: Supports smooth transition into new workflows with an intuitive user interface and cloud-based accessibility
Cross-specialty collaboration: Fosters collaboration across specialties, bridging communication gaps between optometrists, ophthalmologists, and other specialists
Streamlined referrals & outcomes: Streamlines referrals and enhances data visibility, contributing to better patient outcomes and confident clinical decisions

For ZEISS Meditec

Platform leverage: Accelerated development by building on proven infrastructure
Ecosystem synergy: Foundation strengthened for future digital health solutions
Scalable platform: Infrastructure supporting future feature expansion and market growth
Operational excellence: Reliable, maintainable solution with minimal downtime
Customer value: Strengthened relationships with healthcare providers
Full ownership & autonomy: Complete IP ownership with no vendor lock-in, enabling independent innovation driven by customer feedback

Technical achievements

Continuous deployment: Regular feature releases and updates
Platform integration: Seamless connectivity with existing health data platform
Security compliance: Meeting stringent healthcare data protection requirements
Reusable components: Creating assets for future ZEISS Meditec digital initiatives

ZEISS Digital Innovation has been an exceptional partner in our journey. Their team didn't just deliver a product - they became an integral part of our mission to transform ophthalmic care. This collaboration was truly a team effort across ZEISS Digital Innovation and ZEISS Meditec. From the beginning, it was clear that all team members shared one vision and were committed to driving toward a common goal.

Building the ZEISS Collaborative Care solution on our ZEISS Health Data Platform foundation demonstrated their deep understanding of scalable, ecosystem-driven innovation. This collaboration has accelerated our ability to bring innovative and impactful digital solutions to healthcare providers worldwide.

Dr. Silke Huber Head of Digital Portfolio Management, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG