Hospital Prioritizes Self-Testing for Eye Patients

The first public eye test kiosk in the UK, allowing self-testing by the patient, now operated by the NHS, stands at Addenbrooke's Hospital. Derived from an innovation during the COVID-19 lockdown, this setup was developed by Dr. Louise Allen, a senior consulting ophthalmologist at the Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.


The eye tests are given to the patient, who takes the test results along with them for later discussion during their face-to-face appointment. When asked about the new method, the NHS trust stated that it would cut time, as people can perform it before an appointment; it would be done in the waiting area. However, the old ways run by the nurses will remain in case someone prefers that method.


This DigiVis DVA application runs on a tablet and thus is portable, allowing people to fully experience it wherever they want. The person begins by connecting the phone with the tablet via Wi-Fi, preferably without putting anything on their phone. Standing or sitting two meters from the screen, individuals are guided clearly through the test by written instructions and spoken cues.


The kiosk display presents a line of letters, reminiscent of a typical eye test chart, with one highlighted, requiring the patient to select it from a list on the phone. The app will then change the size of the letter shown automatically.


An algorithm runs the test, finding that the tiniest letter is well seen—a key eyesight check known as distance visual acuity. The Trust first used the test during the Covid outbreak, making it one of the four years of trials, with a market version now employed by other NHS Trusts.


Dr. Allen said that the DigiVis DVA test is like scanning your items at the store. She talked about how it may feel strange at first, but soon people adjust. "Using the test in the clinic makes people confident enough to do it at home before a phone conversation," she stated. "People fit for this won't have to go to the hospital so much, some of whom are in remote areas with no cars, and some just get stressed from just going to the clinic. Earlier detection of treatable burdens from DigiVis DVA to eye checks and home monitoring of all ages and many locations in our towns is what we want in the near future."


The test system was developed with support from the Medical Research Council, Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, Cambridge University Hospital Partners, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Invention for Innovation grant.