A mobile app developed for patient remote vision monitoring affords patients and practitioners an added level of protection, particularly during long intervals between treatments and at the end of a treatment course, a study found.  

Digital therapeutics company Tilak Healthcare’s OdySight was developed to address the growing need for remote monitoring of visual function in patients with age-associated chronic eye diseases, said Edouard Gasser, CEO of Tilak, a need that he says has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Using the app, the patient embarks on a digital adventure, combining puzzle-solving and gaming, while the app monitors clinically relevant visual parameters, including a monocular eye test (a digitised version of visual acuity (VA) or Amsler grid). The gaming aspect is designed to keep patients engaged and encourages them to visit the app regularly (max 15 minutes per day).  

The French study, published by The French Journal of Ophthalmology, analysed the implementation and clinical efficacy of OdySight for the remote monitoring of 60 patients with oedematous maculopathies receiving traditional clinical treatment (PRN or treat and extend) to detect changes in VA from home.  

The female-to-male ratio was 3:2, with a mean age of 64 years. Of the 60 subjects, 52% presented with AMD, 31% with high myopia, 11% with retinal vein occlusion and 6% with diabetic maculopathy. The conversion rate (percentage of patients completing at least one test following prescription) and the nine-month retention rate (percentage of active patients) were 61% and 24%, respectively. Patients aged 50 to 70 years and those whose use of the app included game play represented 75% of active patients at nine months. Decreases in visual acuity were detected with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 99%. 

OdySight demonstrated satisfactory detection rates, thanks to reliable and reproducible home testing, and can thus serve as a supplementary tool for patients whose consultations are often spaced several months apart, authors concluded, adding that the implementation can be improved further by clinics adapting their processes to facilitate quick and reliable processing of alerts from the app. 

Tilak and Novartis Pharma partnered in December 2020 to promote OdySight internationally.