ForeseeHome FAQ: Establishing Your Unique Testing Baseline and What it Means
October 2022
We frequently are asked questions about the ForeseeHome device and how it works. This month we continue with:
Establishing Your Unique Testing Baseline and What it Means
To monitor your eye, the ForeseeHome device must determine the status of your eye before monitoring. It does this by mapping and quantifying 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.
Once you establish a baseline, the device uses its artificial intelligence algorithm to monitor your testing pattern against your baseline, detect visual distortions, and follow the progression of those distortions. If more distortion develops over time, it may indicate a conversion to wet AMD and the algorithm will notify the Notal Vision Monitoring Center, where your test results are reviewed by our ophthalmic team, and an alert is sent to your eye doctor.
Establishing a baseline with the ForeseeHome device means doing at least five initial tests; the device may ask for more than five tests in some cases. Testing daily, or at least every other day, is encouraged to help establish a baseline, and for on-going monitoring. Most people referred to the Notal Vision Monitoring Center can establish an initial baseline. However, for a few people, distortions from their intermediate dry AMD or other changes in the back of their eye are so great, it prevents them from providing consistent test results, so they are unable to establish a baseline. If you have been told to test both your eyes with the ForeseeHome device but can only establish a baseline in one eye, make sure to keep testing that eye so your doctor can be alerted of changes and have you begin treatment as soon as possible if needed. Early detection is the best way to help preserve your vision with treatment.
It is important to remember that monitoring cannot begin unless there is a baseline established to compare future testing against. Testing is different from monitoring and occurs anytime you use the device. Monitoring is completing tests on the device after you have established a baseline.
There are two types of baselines:
* Initial baseline: This is when you first start testing with the ForeseeHome device.
* Post-alert baseline: After an alert, if your eye doctor has determined that you did not convert to wet AMD, you may continue testing and the device will attempt to establish a new baseline.
A new baseline is required after an alert because whatever event triggered that alert, including possible changes to your intermediate dry AMD in some way, may have resulted in new or different distortions. Just as with an initial baseline, there will be those with too much distortion after an alert to establish a new baseline, so they are unable to continue monitoring. Your dedicated Clinical Partner will be in contact with you during these events to explain next steps and processes. Sometimes your doctor will be able to determine why you can’t establish a new baseline even though you still have intermediate dry AMD, but other times not.
Remember ForeseeHome and the Notal Vision Monitoring Center are happy to help your doctor monitor your intermediate dry AMD between office visits, and we are here for you throughout your monitoring journey, which begins with establishing your unique baseline.
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