Opternative, the world’s first ‘online eye exam’ service was rolled out across 27 states in the US last week, but the American Optometric Association (AOA) has voiced concerns over its use.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) registered service offers users a refractive eye exam of up to 25 minutes’ duration, using a computer to view tests and a smartphone to record results. A prescription, validated by a state-registered ophthalmologist, is issued within 24 hours if a $40 (£25.60) fee is paid. Contact lens prescriptions are also available for $60, but users must present a prior prescription. Currently, Opternative’s online eye exam is available for adults between 18 and 40 years old.
‘As an FDA-registered software technology, the Opternative eye exam uses a set of vision tests and algorithms to provide clinical decision support to ophthalmologists who determine the appropriate diagnosis and issue the right prescription for each patient,’ said Dr Steven Lee, optometrist and co-founder of Opternative.
Developers said that a clinical trial it had carried out found a ‘strong correlation’ between its own eye exam software and traditional in-practice refractive eye exams, delivering ‘statistically equivalent patient satisfaction’ and visual acuity with the resulting prescription.
The system has come with a warning from the AOA over the potential dangers of splitting the refractive and in-person practitioner elements of eye testing.
‘Eye exams yield not only eye problems but also health information. If a patient has a drastic change in their vision in six or nine months, it could be a tip-off of diabetes or something else. Last year, optometrists were the first to diagnose diabetes in a quarter-million people,’ said OD and AOA president Steven Loomis.
Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists, added: 'My primary concern is the lack of published evidence and validity of how they conduct a eye examination or contact lens assessment online to a safe standard.
'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 health care professional.'