Visual Acuity Assessment and Vision Screening Using a Novel Smartphone Application

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Digital Health
• Pediatric Healthcare

Background:

• Visual acuity assessment and screening for ocular conditions are crucial in pediatric care.
• Traditional methods can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.
• Smartphone-based applications offer a potential for accessible and efficient screening tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Peek Acuity smartphone application for visual acuity assessment in children.
• To assess Peek Acuity's capability in screening for referable ocular conditions.
• To compare visual acuity measurements from Peek Acuity with standard clinical methods.

Main Methods:

• Prospective recruitment of 111 children (ages 3-17) attending a pediatric ophthalmology clinic.
• Randomized monocular visual acuity assessments using Peek Acuity and standard clinical techniques.
• Statistical comparison using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and evaluation of sensitivity for detecting decreased vision and ocular disease.

Main Results:

• High correlation (ICC 0.85-0.88) between Peek Acuity and standard visual acuity assessments.
• Peek Acuity demonstrated adequate sensitivity (83%-86%) for decreased vision and (69%-83%) for referable ocular disease.
• Highest sensitivity was observed in preschool-aged children (3-5 years) for decreased vision (93%-100%).

Conclusions:

• Peek Acuity demonstrates good correlation with standard visual acuity testing in children.
• The application is a suitable screening tool, particularly effective for identifying decreased vision in preschool-aged children.
• Examination fatigue may affect results in younger children, necessitating careful administration.