ForeseeHome FAQ: What happens if/when I get an alert? Why do we not communicate your alert directly to you?
November 2022
We frequently are asked questions about the ForeseeHome device and how it works. This month we continue with:
What happens if the ForeseeHome device detects a change in my vision?
As we discussed in last month’s newsletter, the ForeseeHome device maps and quantifies the intensity of the visual distortions specific to your eye(s) affected by intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The device uses these distortions as a baseline or starting point. With subsequent monitoring, the ForeseeHome device determines if your eye’s visual distortion is changing from its initial presentation during your baseline testing. If there is a significant change suggestive of a conversion to wet AMD , the Notal Vision Monitoring Center is notified by the device's artificial intelligence algorithm, and your testing data is reviewed by our clinical team and by us, the medical directors. Our team at the monitoring center will notify your eye doctor's office, so they can determine the best course of action for you.
Why do we not communicate your changes directly to you?
ForeseeHome is only available to patients referred to the Notal Vision Monitoring Center by prescription as required by Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition, some states, including Virginia, where the Notal Vision Monitoring Center is based, require that whoever orders a test is responsible to inform the patient of the test results. Therefore, your doctor, who prescribed ForeseeHome for you, is responsible for any alerts due to changes in testing and is in the best position to determine when and how that alert should be communicated to you. At the same time, he or she can also decide what action to take because of that alert.
When the referral is originally received by the Notal Vision Monitoring Center, your physician will inform us of how he or she wishes to be notified any alerts. The notification can be through a call or email to a specific person in the practice that the doctor has designated as the alert recipient, such as the office manager, the office scheduler, or the doctor’s personal clinical coordinator.
If the alert to the doctor or practice was delivered electronically, the Notal Vision Monitoring Center will confirm with the practice, after the alert has been sent, that it was received by the intended recipient.
Patients are notified of alerts through their doctor who can evaluate the patients and determine next steps.
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