Caronavirus

Online Eye Tests: Good or Bad ?

The internet is exploding with information. It brings on opportunity, but there is also risk and danger.

An online eye exam is an automated and interactive vision test that claims to measure mainly visual acuity. It may seem like a convenient way to evaluate how you see or possibly get an eyeglass or contact lens prescription. These tests use your computer, tablet, or smartphone from the comfort of your home.

But these tests, — which should NOT be confused with telehealth visits — are performed by a computer program, not a professional eye care practitioner. They cannot and should not replace a comprehensive, in-person eye exam.

Online eye tests, are superficial at best and may cause you to miss important, even life-saving, information about your eye health and vision.

What Do Online Eye Tests Evaluate?

1. It is important to recognize that an online eye test does not evaluate the health of your eyes.

It’s more of a sight test than an eye test. It is not even a vision test because it does not measure how your 2 eyes work together, how your eyes move, your peripheral vision, etc. It is designed as an attempt to measure your visual acuity and refractive error, and, in some cases, contrast sensitivity and color blindness.

The accuracy of the prescriptions provided by online vision tests is questionable. Providing the correct optical prescription requires more than just looking at numbers.
It requires a doctor’s analysis, direct and open communication with the patient. The doctor listens to your visual needs and prescribes accordingly. A distance vision lens is different than a progressive lens, and different than a lens specifically for those that use computers extensively.

The right prescription needs subjective input and experienced analysis from an eye doctor — professional skills that can never be replicated accurately through an online program.

The technology offers presumed convenience, but may give misleading information. These tests may give a patient a false sense of security and contribute to a patient believing—incorrectly—that his or her eye health needs have been met. The online eye test measurements provide little-to-no information on the health of your eyes, and cannot determine whether you may have a sight-threatening condition such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, or other eye diseases. Nor do online exams address problems like dry eye, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, or functional vision problems — such as difficulty with eye teaming or convergence insufficiency.

The Importance of a Comprehensive Eye Exam

Optometrists undergo years of study and specialized training. They develop a comprehensive understanding of how to evaluate your eyes not only for sight, but for any underlying conditions. In fact, sight, vision and health are closely linked. Comprehensive eye exams enable Dr. Roth to detect signs of diseases that may affect your entire body, but which show early signs in your eyes.

These include:

Hypertension
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Strokes
Sjogren’s syndrome
Neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or a brain tumor

Is a Virtual Eye Exam Cost-Saving?

Some people erroneously believe that an online eye test can save them not only time but also money, compared with a comprehensive eye exam performed by an optometrist. These virtual tests offer only a sliver of the services you would normally receive from your eye doctor during a thorough ocular exam.

A professional eye exam requires training, precision, and the proper equipment. Anything less puts your eyes, your vision, and even your life at serious risk.

Safeguard Your Eyes and Sight

A comprehensive in-person eye exam is the only way to determine whether your eyes are healthy and free from sight-threatening conditions. Early detection and treatment of these problems can potentially prevent vision loss. Eye care practitioners frequently identify infection, chronic illness or eye disease during what patients would have expected to be a simple, routine ocular exam. These scenarios are far more common than we imagine.

To safeguard the health of your eyes and sight, have a comprehensive, in-person eye exam with Family Eye Care in Old Bridge, NJ. Your health and visual well being may depend on it.

Family Eye Care in Old Bridge provides comprehensive eye exams using the most advanced equipment available. We also provide specialty care through Vision Therapy, Orthokeratology, Myopia Management, Specialty lenses due to problems after LASIK and for Keratoconus.

We serve Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Matawan, Marlboro, Manalapan, Monroe, Aberdeen, South Amboy, South River, and all of New Jersey.

Schedule an exam with us today. You can reach us at 1-732-679-2020.

What Will Our Practice Look Like Post-COVID?

COVID-19’s rapid sweep across the country has forced us to make some rapid clinical management decisions. Government order required that we temporarily close our office to all but emergency eye care, and we were able to use TeleHealth to help our patients.

We look forward in anticipation to returning to see our patients e care. There are changed we have made that include strict disinfection and social distancing guidelines to limit the spread of infection.

Some of the Changes You Can Expect to See

1) We have placed signs in our office that spell out the new steps and protocols to ensure maximum safety for staff and patients alike.

2) Social distancing will be the new norm.

3) We hope that you take advantage of submitting your registration and medical information online.

4) We have changed our schedule to accommodate fewer people to ensure safety and minimize the spread of COVID19.

5) Seating in our reception area has been reduced to adhere to social distancing.

6) We hope that most patients will come unaccompanied, unless that is necessary.

7) Children should be accompanied by one parent only.

8) Please text message us before entering.

9) We will take your temperature and will give you a pair of gloves to wear.

10) Our staff will call you to obtain any further medical information before entering.

11) Our staff will help you in selecting eyeglass frames. All frames that patients have selected or tried on, will be disinfected.

12) We will be cleaning all surfaces with disinfectant after each patient is in. both at our front office and in our examination rooms.

13) We have implemented cashless payments and eliminated the need to pass a credit card.

14) if you are not feeling well, or have been in contact with someone who is sick, we will reschedule your appointment for some time in the near future.

15) Our staff will have their temperature taken before seeing patients.

16) All patients will wear face masks.

17) in addition to that, we will be wearing safety goggles and face masks, particularly during any up-close contact with the patient.

18) Patients who have suspected eye infections will be seated in a special area.

19) We will be frequently disinfecting all patient area, including chairs, counters and doorknobs. Every exam room will be completely disinfected between appointments. In the dispensary, frames will be promptly disinfected after patients touch them.

20) You will see disinfection hand sanitizer throughout our office to promote hygiene to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections.

We are here to help you will all vision or eye health issues Here, at Family Eye Care of Old Bridge, Dr. Roth and all of our staff would like you to know that we have taken all measures to ensure your health an take care of our eye health and vision problems.

We, at Family Eye Care in Old Bridge NJ look forward to welcoming you back to our practice. We serve patients from Old Bridge, Aberdeen, Matawan, South River, Sayreville, South Amboy, Marlboro, Manalapan, Monroe, East Brunswick, and from our entire great state of New Jersey.

You can reach us at 1-732-679-202 or through our website: www.NewJerseyEyeSite.com.

Is the ER really the best place if you have an Eye Emergencies During COVID-19?

On April 22, the American Optometric Association (AOA) urged patients with emergency eye care needs to get in touch with their local optometrist prior to seeking treatment in hospital emergency rooms. Doing so not only eases the burden on emergency departments but also helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.

What Is Considered an Eye Emergency?

Most eye-related conditions can be treated in an outpatient optometry office or clinic. As a matter of fact, several Urgent Care offices in our area refer their eye emergencies to our office. We have treated people who have been unsuccessful in reaching their prior eye doctor.

Emergency eye care includes anything that causes eye pain or urgent clinical advice. It may be an eye injury like a corneal abrasion or removing something that is lodged in the eye. At times someone may have a sudden loss of vision or sudden blurry vision, a chemical burn or sensitivity to light. Sudden onset of flashes and floaters may signal a retinal detachment. If someone wears contact lenses, then sudden pain in one eye may mean a corneal ulcer. Red eye or discharge may indicate conjunctivitis, one of the common symptoms of COVID-19.

Prioritizing Your Eye Care Needs During COVID-19

During the coronavirus outbreak, we have been going above and beyond to ensure that people are receiving the emergency eye care they need. Patients with emergency conditions, many of which have not been our patients previously, have called. We have been able to treat and prescribe by a phone consultation, called Telehealth. At times, emergency visits require a physical visit to the office. During this period, per the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the governor’s order, we are not yet seeing patients for “routine care” but anyone who has any sort of eye concern, should certainly call our office, Family Eye Care in Old Bridge, NJ and our doctors will respond to help you.

The hospital emergency rooms are now addressing people with COVID and therefore many people are hesitant and concerned about going to the hospital ER. Also, ER physicians are excellent at what they do, but may not be as familiar or comfortable with eye related problems. We are. We can help.

We also want hospitals to conserve their conserve their resources to address the pandemic. Research has shown that treating eye emergencies at an eye doctor’s office can potentially divert 1.4 million patients away from emergency rooms per year.

We, at Family Eye Care in Old Bridge provide emergency care for those who need it. We’d like to reassure our patients that we are here to help with anyone’s emergency eye care requirements – for both for new and existing patients.

References:

https://www.visionmonday.com/eyecare/coronavirus-briefing/crisis-response-tactics/article/aoa-cautions-patients-against-avoidable-er-visits-for-primary-eyecare-services-during-covid19-pandemic/