Three Home-Based Visual Acuity Tests Validated
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Three visual acuity tests taken at home produce results comparable to those achieved with standard tests taken in the office, researchers say. All the tests are free. Two measure near vision, and the third measures distance vision. Reliable home tests could allow more frequent monitoring of ocular conditions, provide safety from infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and reduce the need for travel. Ideally, they should be used to supplement rather than replace in-office tests, but ophthalmologists at OHSU considered relying on them for patients who didn't want to come in for appointments during the pandemic, Thomas said.
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@tattamoshi Paper charts, websites, and smartphone applications have become available for this purpose, but many have not been validated or require users to pay a fee. Some validation studies were conducted in research clinics under the supervision of clinicians, leaving Thomas and her colleagues to wonder how useful the tests would prove if patients were taking them on their own. To help fill this gap, Thomas and her colleagues recruited adult patients from OHSU ophthalmology clinics between July 17, 2020, and March 9, 2021, whose visual acuity was 20/200 or better in at least one eye and who had access to an iOS (Apple iPhone) mobile device, a computer with internet access, or a physical address where they could receive a printed eye chart by mail.