Covid 19 has accelerated tele-medicine in many fields, one of these being the optical industry. The pandemic essentially put a stop to eye care for a few months in 2020 before there was clear guidance on how optical outlets could reopen. This shone a light on what needs to progress in order to care for patients with eye conditions, whether they’re known or unknown. This priority is likely to continue long after lockdown restrictions ease.

Although tele-optometry is not a new concept, the drive for this to be introduced in the industry has increased exponentially given the events of the past year.

“Until the recent crisis, telemedicine has tended to be most useful in accessing remote or disparate populations who previously had little access to healthcare.” (opticianonline.net)

However, now tele-optometry is being looked at as a solution for all, and it’s a solution that will allow Optometrists to give continuity of care to their patients even if they have to socially distance or see them remotely.

There’s technology out there that’s working to make this a reality and some products are already in the market too. IbisVision allows for non-contact testing and will offer tele-optometry functions this year allowing the patient to complete exams at home with their optician online. Other health-tech organisations are developing apps that allow tests to be undertaken on a smartphone which can be used to order glasses.

All in all, some businesses are on track to offer technological solutions required by the optical industry and offer them what they need to navigate a Covid 19 and post-Covid 19 world.

Talk to us about our solution and how we can help with our non-contact eye examination solution. Contact us for more details, we’d love to hear from you.