Instances of amblyopia (lazy eye) may reach an all-time high during this pandemic due to the lack of vision testing. It is the leading cause of permanent vision loss for children, despite the fact it is preventable when detected and treated early.
Lack of vision screenings due to school closures, combined with less efficient patient flow in doctors’ offices, puts kids ages 4-7 at the greatest risk for permanent vision loss.
To fill the testing gap, AMA Optics has developed a vision test available to anyone with an iPhone or iPad. The DiagnosticGame® app, available on the App Store, uses patented technology that combines visual acuity and relative brightness (rivalry) to automatically analyze vision loss.
Parents, grandparents and caregivers can now use their mobile device for vision testing. The DiagnosticGame® is the only remote test that separates those needing glasses from those that require treatment for amblyopia. This automated test plays like a game and is easy enough for most 4-year-old children to enjoy.
The DiagnosticGame® app is being studied by Steven Kane, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric ophthalmologist at Columbia University in New York. He tested 286 children and reported the preliminary results at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in 2018. He concluded that “Brightness rivalry may be the most sensitive and specific method to detect amblyopia.”
For more information, visit www.diagnosticgame.com or call AMA Optics at (305) 389-0928.
This article has been paid for by AMA Optics.