From Diagnosis to Daily Support: How Vision Coach Helps Bayer Transform DME Care

Diabetic Macular Edema Is Stealing Sight. Quietly and Relentlessly.

Over 27 million people worldwide are living with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss among adults with diabetes.

But DME isn’t just a medical condition.
It’s a chronic, emotionally charged journey full of fear, confusion, and disengagement

• Patients don’t understand the risks, or are too afraid to face them
• The path from diagnosis to treatment is complex, expensive, and fragmented
• Providers are stretched thin, managing overwhelmed patients in overburdened systems

Even with breakthrough therapies like anti-VEGF injections, many patients stop showing up.

Why?

Because vision loss is terrifying.
And the journey to preserve it often feels scary, clinical, and lonely.

DME patients aren’t just managing a disease.

They’re navigating a system that wasn’t designed for their reality.

Bayer Needed a Better Way to Support DME Patients and Clinicians

Bayer recognised the problem wasn’t just biological.
It was structural. Emotional. Logistical.

Patients were missing appointments. Dropping out of care. Losing vision unnecessarily.
Clinicians were overwhelmed, managing complex regimens with no digital help.

And it was costing everyone.

Which is why we partnered with Bayer to design and deliver Vision Coach, a digital support platform built for both sides of the journey.

Vision Coach, a platform built through the Product Accelerator model to tackle all of this head-on

We applied our Product Accelerator to turn Bayer’s vision into a working, real-world solution, fast.

Discover

We started by immersing ourselves in the patient and clinician reality:

• Analysed global journey data to pinpoint dropout, delay, and distress
• Uncovered emotional blockers like fear, guilt, and confusion
• Mapped system failures, from inaccessible clinics to overburdened providers

The research uncovered clear opportunities to improve patient adherence, reduce system strain, and increase clinical impact.

Define

We defined a digital strategy built to solve real DME challenges:

• User journeys focused on fear, behaviour, and long-term adherence
• Clinician tools to simplify follow-up and track patient progress
• FHIR-compliant architecture built for trust, scale, and integration
• Adherence triggers to intervene before vision loss occurs

We also accounted for economic friction, reducing unnecessary visits and improving retention to lower total treatment burden.

Design

We created a connected ecosystem, built to support vision and dignity.

• Patient App with sight score tracking, reminders, and clear guidance
• Clinician Dashboard for treatment planning and patient visibility
• Education Platform to demystify treatment and build trust
• Accessibility-first UX designed for low vision from day one
• Friendly visual language to reduce fear and promote action

Every element was crafted to be inclusive and intuitive.

Deliver

We launched a real, working platform

• Live mobile and web apps used by patients and clinicians
• Task-based usability testing validated design decisions
• Roadmap includes lifestyle support, EMR integrations, and more
• Secure, global deployment with ISO27001-certified infrastructure

A live, secure platform with mobile and web apps in use, and a roadmap already expanding to new features.

Why This Matters

Adherence is the tipping point in DME.

Patients who fall behind on injections lose vision.
Patients who stay on track preserve independence.

But maintaining that schedule of monthly clinic visits, costs, side effects, and emotional weight is incredibly hard.

Vision Coach exists to make it easier.

Easier to show up
Easier to stay informed
Easier to feel supported, not just treated

That’s the difference.

What If Your Platform Could Deliver Like This?

Vision Coach proves what’s possible when Pharma takes a user-first approach to serious chronic conditions.

• Improved adherence
• Reduced patient anxiety
• Lower long-term cost burden
• Preserved vision and quality of life

And it all started with understanding the human and economic story behind DME.

If you’re building a digital tool for real-world use in Pharma or Biotech, let’s talk.