With the new innovation, GoCheck Kids, by Gobiquity Mobile Health, pediatricians are now able to better determine the possibility of amblyopia (commonly known as lazy eye) and refer children to their eye care specialist for further treatment. The smartphone app is the first of its kind; it takes high-resolution photos of the patient’s eyes, which are then automatically screened for refractive risk factors that could lead to vision loss.
One of the main benefits to this technology is the ability to use it with children as young as 6 months. Traditionally, vision testing requires a verbal response, which is unrealistic for infants and toddlers. With the simple GoCheck Kids process, a snap of a photo could result in early detection and prevented vision loss later in life. With data showing that between 15 to 20 percent of children are at risk of amblyopia, this is a huge impact in determining risk factors and treating the disease before permanent vision loss occurs.
Ophthalmologist Thomas Henderson, M.D. said, “There have been various attempts at photo screening before, but the barrier to wide adoption was the need for specially trained people and expensive equipment. If this works well, it would be a welcome revolution in the availability of early screening for amblyopia at its most treatable time.”
Although the program is only currently available in California, the company hopes to have a national rollout planned for the fall – just in time for school checkups.
Source: https://hitconsultant.net/2014/06/20/new-mobile-health-app-screens-a-childs-eyes-for-amblyopia/
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