AI-Assisted vs Conventional Teleglaucoma Referral (GATES)

November 4, 2026 updated by: Benjamin Xu, University of Southern California

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Teleophthalmology for Glaucoma Screening: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial will compare an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted teleglaucoma referral pathway with conventional referral among adults identified with referable glaucoma through the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) Teleretinal Screening Program. The primary objective is to determine whether AI-assisted referral reduces time to in-office diagnosis of manifest glaucoma. Secondary outcomes include glaucoma severity, visual function, need for glaucoma surgery, patient-reported quality of life and satisfaction, health system resource utilization, and cost-effectiveness.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Participants identified with referable glaucoma during routine teleretinal screening will be randomized 1:1 to an AI-assisted referral pathway or a conventional referral pathway.

In the AI-assisted arm, fundus photographs will be analyzed using validated deep learning models integrated within the Eye-AI platform. AI outputs, together with intraocular pressure and other clinical information, will be used to stratify referral urgency. AI-generated recommendations will undergo review by glaucoma specialists before referral.

In the conventional referral arm, fundus images will undergo manual review by LAC DHS optometrists, with referral and prioritization performed according to current clinical practice.

Participants in both groups will undergo comprehensive in-office glaucoma evaluation following referral and will be followed for up to 36 months. The primary outcome is time from screening to in-office diagnosis of manifest glaucoma. Secondary outcomes will evaluate disease severity and visual function, need for glaucoma surgery, patient-reported quality of life and satisfaction, health system resource utilization, and cost-effectiveness.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1386

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Benjamin Y. Xu, MD, PhD
  • Phone Number: 323-442-6425
  • Email: benjamix@usc.edu

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Provision of signed and dated informed consent
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Receiving routine teleretinal screening through the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) Teleretinal Screening Program
  • Positive prediction for referable glaucoma by the validated AI algorithm at the time of screening
  • No prior ophthalmology or optometry follow-up within the past year
  • Willingness and ability to comply with study procedures and follow-up

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to tolerate fundus photography or ungradable fundus images
  • Acute vision loss or major ocular complaints requiring immediate in-person evaluation
  • Prior glaucoma diagnosis or treatment within the past year

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: AI-Assisted Teleglaucoma Referral

Participants will undergo AI-assisted referral using validated deep learning models integrated within the Eye-AI platform. AI outputs, together with intraocular pressure and other clinical information, will be used to stratify referral urgency. AI-generated recommendations will be reviewed by glaucoma specialists before referral.
Other: AI-Assisted Teleglaucoma Referral Pathway

Fundus photographs acquired during routine teleretinal screening will be analyzed using validated deep learning models integrated within the Eye-AI platform. For participants identified with referable glaucoma, AI outputs will be combined with intraocular pressure and other clinical information to stratify referral urgency. All AI-generated recommendations will undergo review by a glaucoma specialist before referral.
Active Comparator: Conventional Teleglaucoma Referral

Participants will undergo conventional teleglaucoma referral based on manual grading of fundus photographs by LAC DHS optometrists, with referral and prioritization performed according to current clinical practice.
Other: Conventional Teleglaucoma Referral Pathway

Fundus photographs will undergo conventional manual grading by LAC DHS optometrists, with referral and prioritization performed according to current clinical practice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to in-office diagnosis of glaucoma
Time Frame: From screening through 36 months

Number of days from the initial teleophthalmology screening to the first in-office glaucoma evaluation at which manifest glaucoma is diagnosed.
From screening through 36 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Visual field mean deviation (MD)
Time Frame: Baseline and 36 months

Glaucoma disease severity assessed using visual field mean deviation (MD), measured in decibels (dB), at baseline and 36 months.
Baseline and 36 months
Visual field index (VFI)
Time Frame: Baseline and 36 months

Glaucoma disease severity assessed using visual field index (VFI), expressed as a percentage (%), at baseline and 36 months.
Baseline and 36 months
Mean retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness
Time Frame: Time Frame: Baseline and 36 months

Glaucoma disease severity assessed using mean retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), expressed in micrometers (µm), at baseline and 36 months.
Time Frame: Baseline and 36 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Southern California

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2032

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2034

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • APP-26-03722

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared because patient-level health data from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) are subject to HIPAA and LAC DHS data-sharing restrictions. Aggregate-level study results and derived analytic outputs will be shared in accordance with NIH policy and the approved Data Management and Sharing Plan.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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