At this year’s Mobile World Congress the Eurecat technology centre is showcasing a new app developed in conjunction with the Salut Empordà Foundation which can be used to conduct ophthalmological tests without visiting a specialist and find out the risk of developing a sight problem.
The project is called eVisió and helps patients “to look after their eyesight and have check-ups at home as often as they wish,” says Felip Miralles, Eurecat’s Digital Health director. “It does this by harnessing a suite of diagnostic tests which have already been clinically validated.”
The app enables users to perform visual acuity tests on a smartphone or web browser. The results are compiled in a centralised platform which makes it possible to provide recommendations on the next steps to take.
The project “targets comprehensive care for ophthalmological patients using remote diagnostic support tools which also enhance healthcare coordination between primary care and the hospital,” points out Miralles.
These results are additionally entered into an ophthalmological medical record which will be made available to patients’ existing medical records in the hospital information system and in Catalonia’s electronic public health systems such as ‘My Health’.
“The test can be used as an independent self-assessment,” adds Pere Plaja, director of Innovation and Research at the Salut Empordà Foundation. “However, the idea is to build it into the ophthalmology care pathway to fast-track specialist appointments where needed and add to patient follow-up in the home setting whether actually at home or in primary care.”
