Use of Home Optical Coherence Tomography for Retinal Diseases

Modern treatment protocols for retinal diseases involve frequent in-office monitoring with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections. Monthly injections may yield the greatest visual outcomes but are the most burdensome for patients and physicians, while as-needed injections may lead to undertreatment. Hybrid protocols, such as treat-and-extend (TREX) have been conceived to bridge this gap. Device-based home monitoring protocols for retinal disease may iterate further and allow more precise treatment tailored to individualized disease activity curves. Prior non-OCT home monitoring strategies have been developed with varying efficacy. These range from the ubiquitous but low-sensitivity Amsler grid to recent innovations such as the ForeseeHome preferential hyperacuity perimeter. Most recently, home OCT devices have been studied for remote monitoring, largely for use with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Currently, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved device that utilizes OCT for monitoring retinal disease is the SCANLY Home OCT. Paired with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that allows automated monitoring and alerting of retinal fluid volumes in AMD, SCANLY has demonstrated feasibility in limited trials to date, and a multicenter randomized controlled trial is currently underway to assess its efficacy in comparison to TREX regimens. Additional non-FDA-approved devices are being developed with varying degrees of study to date. Questions remain regarding its efficacy, real-world implementation, and financial considerations; nevertheless, home OCT has the potential to address many current barriers in retinal care, including travel and treatment burdens, while facilitating increased treatment precision.