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Smartphone app measures visual acuity for diabetic retinopathy screening

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MIAMI — A smartphone application with functional and imaging capabilities can be comparable to an in-office examination when measuring visual acuity for diabetic retinopathy screening, Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD, told colleagues at Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2015.

Mark S.
Blumenkranz

“It’s another example of mobile out-of-office monitoring technology that can be combined with a fully integrated EHR to provide a window into disease activity and management,” Blumenkranz said.

A specialized plastic 3-D adapter records still images or video that downloads automatically to a website from any location with wireless capabilities.

In a prospective nonrandomized consecutive trial, 100 eyes of 50 patients were examined. Each patient underwent a standard clinical ophthalmic exam, including dilation, in addition to a near corrected visual acuity examination using the smartphone app by a different examiner. Visual acuity, grade of iris neovascularization, grade of diabetic retinopathy, and masked grading and interobserver adjudication were compared.

A high degree of correlation was found between the use of the smartphone app and an in-office examination to determine visual acuity, showing the same mean and median outcomes.

“It has demonstrated ability to document disease, to determine who needs to be and does not need to be treated,” Blumenkranz said. “Therefore, it may have a useful role in remote screening for diabetic eye disease, particularly for triaging which patients in high-risk groups need treatment, or patients who may not be remote but have limited access to care due to demographic and socioeconomic factors.” – by Kristie L. Kahl and Patricia Nale, ELS

Disclosure: Blumenkranz reports he is an equity holder in DigiSight Technologies; a director and equity holder in OptiMedica, Avalanche Biotechnologies, Presbia and Vantage Surgical; and a consultant for Genentech and Allergan.