Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Validation of the DIGIROP algorithm in identifying preterm infants at risk for developing retinopathy of prematurity
Sophie Vanhaesebrouck1, Aleksandra Zecic1, Linde Goossens1
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, University Hospitals Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
Insights
The DIGIROP tool effectively identifies high-risk infants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a preventable blinding disease. This decision support system shows high sensitivity, aiding in timely treatment and reducing unnecessary screenings for neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of preventable blindness in preterm infants.
- Timely detection and treatment of severe ROP are crucial for preventing vision loss.
- Clinical decision support tools can optimize ROP screening protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To externally validate the DIGIROP decision support tool (DIGIROP-screen and DIGIROP-birth) for ROP screening in preterm infants.
- To assess the tool's performance in identifying neonates at high risk for sight-threatening ROP.
- To evaluate the potential of DIGIROP to reduce unnecessary screening examinations.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort analysis of preterm infants screened for ROP at University Hospitals Ghent, Belgium (2020-2022).
- Validation of DIGIROP-birth and DIGIROP-screen as the primary outcome.
- Secondary analysis of pre-, peri-, and postnatal characteristics in relation to ROP risk.
Main Results:
- The study included 212 infants in the DIGIROP-birth analysis and 94 in the DIGIROP-screen analysis (median GA 27 weeks, median BW 892.5g).
- DIGIROP-birth demonstrated 100% sensitivity in identifying infants requiring screening.
- Gestational age and birth weight were identified as key risk factors for ROP.
Conclusions:
- The DIGIROP decision support tool exhibited high performance in the studied cohort.
- Further multicenter, prospective validation studies are recommended before widespread clinical generalization in similar NICU settings.
- DIGIROP shows promise for improving the efficiency and accuracy of ROP screening programs.
Abstract:
PurposeRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a blinding disease, however largely preventable by timely detection of severe ROP and treatment when required. Clinical use of the DIGIROP decision support tool (DIGIROP-screen and DIGIROP-birth) can help detecting neonates at high risk of sight-threatening severe ROP needing treatment and to reduce unnecessary screening exams in low-risk infants. External validation is necessary before the tool can be used in clinical decision-making.MethodsRetrospective cohort analysis of all preterm infants who were screened for ROP at the University Hospitals Ghent Belgium from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. Validation of the DIGIROP decision support tools was the primary outcome variable. In a secondary analysis pre-, peri-, and postnatal characteristics were compared in different cohorts.Results311 infants were eligible for routine ROP-screening. Infants with a (gestational age) GA beyond 30 weeks (N = 80) and those who died (N = 19) were excluded resulting in 212 infants eligible entered in DIGIROP-birth. 112 infants did not need to be screened according to DIGIROP-birth. This resulted in 94 infants entered in DIGIROP-screen. These infants had a median GA of 27 weeks, a median birth weight (BW) of 892.5 g, and 62.5% were boys. DIGIROP birth showed a sensitivity of 100%. Most important risk factors for ROP across all subgroups are GA, BW.ConclusionsThe DIGIROP decision support tool demonstrated very high performance in our setting. However, multicenter prospective validation studies with large cohorts should confirm our findings before the use of the model can be generalized in Western NICU's with similar levels of care.
