Patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) often develop distortion in their vision when the abnormal vessels that cause wet disease occur in the macula. If that distortion, which is frequently so subtle that it often goes unnoticed by patients, is detected early, the patient can see their doctor and be treated before they develop recognizable abnormal vision.
ForeseeHome works by converting a patient’s visual distortion into a score. When a patient starts to test, each eye must establish its own distortion score, or a baseline. When the patient performs daily tests, the device’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm will determine if they are developing more distortion consistent with a conversion to wet disease and issue an alert. While the Notal Vision Monitoring Center monitors patients’ testing compliance on behalf their doctors, we also ask that you reinforce the importance of testing daily to ensure the best possible outcomes.
If a patient’s eye alerts, and the alert is not due to a conversion to wet AMD, a new baseline must be established before monitoring of that eye can resume. This is because the eye has developed more distortion than it had at the initiation of testing. If an alert is due to a conversion to wet AMD, early treatment from an eye care professional can help prevent long-term vision loss.
Sometimes patients are confused when they had an alert but did not convert to wet AMD – they think “ForeseeHome did not work”. In fact, ForeseeHome worked exactly as designed. A conversion may not have occurred, which is a good thing, but an alert, for whatever reason, gives their doctor an opportunity to examine the patient and determine why their distortion increased.
Occasionally, patients are unable to establish an initial baseline, or a new baseline after an alert not due to wet AMD. In these cases, a dedicated member of our Notal Vision Monitoring Center will give the patient pointers, answer any questions they may have regarding testing, and do their best to help the patient successfully establish a baseline. Occasionally, because the eye simply has too much distortion or scotomas interfering with the patient’s ability to accurately perform the test in that eye, a new baseline may not be established precluding monitoring of that eye.
The Notal Vision Monitoring Center is here to help your patients have a rewarding experience with our service and be successful participants in the ForeseeHome Monitoring Program.
Questions about establishing a baseline for the Notal Vision Monitoring Center Medical Directors? Let us know.
