Instruments: Distanced refraction

Since the appearance of Covid-19 in the UK, we have all become well used to the importance of minimising infection while offering eye care. Along with maintaining adequate personal protective equipment (including screens on instruments) and surface disinfection, we are all very conscious of two further essential ways of preventing virus spread:

The challenge has been to adhere to these rules without any impact on the effectiveness and accuracy of testing. Whether assessing the health status or the visual and refractive status, each element of a routine eye examination brings its own challenges. Refraction is a key part of the examination and the importance of a quick and accurate objective assessment followed by a subjective assessment, as socially distanced as possible, has never been greater.