Warnings on the ‘false claims’ made by online eye exam providers have been issued by the American Optometric Association (AOA) and the College of Optometrists.
The warning follows recent publicity on soon-to-be launched US online refractive eye exam website, Opternative, which claimed to offer its users an ophthalmologist-signed spectacle or contact lens prescription which cost up to 75 per cent less than an in-practice test.
‘It is worrying to think that people could end up conducting a sight test at home in front of a computer rather than going to see an optometrist for a full eye examination,’ said Dr Susan Blakeney, clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists. ‘The vital role that the country’s optometrists play in detecting and recognising conditions that may affect sight should not be underestimated, and I do not believe an online system could ever be an adequate substitute for an appointment with a fully-trained healthcare professional.’
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