Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements
Abstract Introduction With technological advancements and the growing prevalence of smartphones, ophthalmology has opportunely harnessed medical technology for visual function assessment as a home monitoring tool for patients. Ophthalmology applications that offer these have likewise become more rea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Adis, Springer Healthcare
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Ophthalmology and Therapy |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-024-01071-1 |
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| author | Caius Goh Marilyn Puah Zhi Hong Toh Joewee Boon Debbie Boey Ryan Tay Ashita A. Sule Renee Liu Xing-Er Ong Aditya Kalra Satvik Gupta Andres Rousselot William Rojas-Carabali Bryan Ang Rupesh Agrawal |
| author_facet | Caius Goh Marilyn Puah Zhi Hong Toh Joewee Boon Debbie Boey Ryan Tay Ashita A. Sule Renee Liu Xing-Er Ong Aditya Kalra Satvik Gupta Andres Rousselot William Rojas-Carabali Bryan Ang Rupesh Agrawal |
| author_sort | Caius Goh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction With technological advancements and the growing prevalence of smartphones, ophthalmology has opportunely harnessed medical technology for visual function assessment as a home monitoring tool for patients. Ophthalmology applications that offer these have likewise become more readily available in recent years, which may be used for early detection and monitoring of eye conditions. To date, no review has been done to evaluate and compare the utility of these apps. This review provides an updated overview of visual functions assessment using mobile applications available on the Apple App and Google Play Stores, enabling eye care professionals to make informed selections of their use in ophthalmology. Methods We reviewed 160 visual function applications available on Apple iTunes and the Google Play Stores. The parameters surveyed included types of visual function tests, the involvement of healthcare professionals in their development, cost, and download count. Results Visual tests, including visual acuity and color vision tests, were most common among apps surveyed, and they were comparable to traditional clinical methods. Certain applications were more widely used, some of which have had studies conducted to assess the reliability of test results. Limitations of these apps include the absence of healthcare professionals’ involvement in their development, the lack of approval by regulatory authorities and minimal cloud-based features to communicate results to healthcare professionals. Conclusions The prevalence and easy access of visual function testing applications present opportunities to enhance teleophthalmology through early detection and monitoring of eye conditions. Future development to enhance the quality of the apps should involve regulatory bodies and medical professionals, followed up by research using larger samples with longer follow-up studies to review the reliability and validity of ophthalmology applications. This would potentially enable these applications to be incorporated into the comprehensive assessment and follow-up care of patients’ eye health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5fbd058d96384b53bb72f1ca3713b679 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2193-8245 2193-6528 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Adis, Springer Healthcare |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ophthalmology and Therapy |
| spelling | doaj-art-5fbd058d96384b53bb72f1ca3713b6792025-01-12T12:10:49ZengAdis, Springer HealthcareOphthalmology and Therapy2193-82452193-65282024-11-01141233910.1007/s40123-024-01071-1Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest AdvancementsCaius Goh0Marilyn Puah1Zhi Hong Toh2Joewee Boon3Debbie Boey4Ryan Tay5Ashita A. Sule6Renee Liu7Xing-Er Ong8Aditya Kalra9Satvik Gupta10Andres Rousselot11William Rojas-Carabali12Bryan Ang13Rupesh Agrawal14Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Khoo Teck Puat HospitalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Tan Tock Seng HospitalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School, Schepens Eye Research InstituteNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalDepartment of Computer Science and Technology, University of CambridgeSchool of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversityConsultorios Oftalmológicos Benisek Ascarza, Capital FederalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalNational Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng HospitalAbstract Introduction With technological advancements and the growing prevalence of smartphones, ophthalmology has opportunely harnessed medical technology for visual function assessment as a home monitoring tool for patients. Ophthalmology applications that offer these have likewise become more readily available in recent years, which may be used for early detection and monitoring of eye conditions. To date, no review has been done to evaluate and compare the utility of these apps. This review provides an updated overview of visual functions assessment using mobile applications available on the Apple App and Google Play Stores, enabling eye care professionals to make informed selections of their use in ophthalmology. Methods We reviewed 160 visual function applications available on Apple iTunes and the Google Play Stores. The parameters surveyed included types of visual function tests, the involvement of healthcare professionals in their development, cost, and download count. Results Visual tests, including visual acuity and color vision tests, were most common among apps surveyed, and they were comparable to traditional clinical methods. Certain applications were more widely used, some of which have had studies conducted to assess the reliability of test results. Limitations of these apps include the absence of healthcare professionals’ involvement in their development, the lack of approval by regulatory authorities and minimal cloud-based features to communicate results to healthcare professionals. Conclusions The prevalence and easy access of visual function testing applications present opportunities to enhance teleophthalmology through early detection and monitoring of eye conditions. Future development to enhance the quality of the apps should involve regulatory bodies and medical professionals, followed up by research using larger samples with longer follow-up studies to review the reliability and validity of ophthalmology applications. This would potentially enable these applications to be incorporated into the comprehensive assessment and follow-up care of patients’ eye health.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-024-01071-1Mobile applicationsTeleophthalmologyVisual function test |
| spellingShingle | Caius Goh Marilyn Puah Zhi Hong Toh Joewee Boon Debbie Boey Ryan Tay Ashita A. Sule Renee Liu Xing-Er Ong Aditya Kalra Satvik Gupta Andres Rousselot William Rojas-Carabali Bryan Ang Rupesh Agrawal Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements Ophthalmology and Therapy Mobile applications Teleophthalmology Visual function test |
| title | Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements |
| title_full | Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements |
| title_fullStr | Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements |
| title_short | Mobile Apps and Visual Function Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements |
| title_sort | mobile apps and visual function assessment a comprehensive review of the latest advancements |
| topic | Mobile applications Teleophthalmology Visual function test |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-024-01071-1 |
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