Frequently Asked Questions
What is my risk for developing wet AMD?
Individual risk varies but about 10-15% of people with intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progress to wet AMD. This risk increases 10% every additional year. Furthermore, 1 in 3 patients convert to wet AMD in their other eye within 24 months after wet AMD was diagnosed in their first eye. Wet AMD is the biggest risk to future vision health, and progression to wet AMD can result in permanent central vision loss if left undetected.
Won’t I be able to notice if I progress to wet AMD on my own, especially if my vision is getting worse?
Progression to wet AMD can be very subtle and day-to-day changes in vision are not normally noticeable. The brain will compensate for poor vision in one eye with good vision in the other. It’s able to fill in any missing areas in the field of vision with the colors and patterns of the surrounding environment. It also uses information from what the opposite eye sees to create a complete, uninterrupted picture.
In clinical trials, only one-third of patients with intermediate dry AMD who progressed to wet AMD were aware of the change. By the time a person notices worsening vision, their functional vision needed for driving or seeing words on a page clearly (20/40 or better) would likely be lost. Most people with wet AMD—up to 85%—have lost their functional vision by the time they noticed any real change in their vision.
My doctor gave me an Amsler grid, isn’t that enough?
The Amsler grid, developed in the 1940s, is a black and white grid with a small dot in the center. Its purpose is to check whether the lines start to look wavy or distorted or whether areas of your visual field are missing. The problem with only using an Amsler grid is that by the time noticeable distortions appear, irreversible central vision loss may have already occurred. The Amsler grid has its limitations when it comes to detecting wet AMD early.
In a large real-world study, 81% patients who used ForeseeHome regularly in addition to their eye doctor’s recommendations were able to maintain good, functional vision needed for driving or seeing words on a page clearly—20/40 or better—when wet AMD was detected. This is compared to only 34% of patients who maintained their functional vision when using current detection methods alone, like the Amsler grid, because changes are not caught early enough.
What is vision like for someone with wet AMD?
What a person with wet AMD will typically experience is their central vision—meaning the field of view directly in front of them—is distorted, very blurry, or blocked by dark areas. The words on a page, images on TV, people’s faces—this is central vision, and the person will essentially lose it.
If I do get wet AMD, what happens then?
It depends on how early it is caught. There are effective treatments for wet AMD, and they can be administered in the doctor’s office. But the effectiveness of treatment relies on early detection of wet AMD. Vision loss due to wet AMD is preventable if its onset is detected as soon as possible. People who start treatment with good vision have a much better chance at maintaining that level of vision. However, people who start treatment after losing significant vision rarely regain it after starting treatment.
What’s important to know is that the best chance of protection for your vision is daily, at-home monitoring so that subtle changes are caught early. There are at-home detection methods used for this purpose that are very easy for patients to do on their own.
How does the ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program work?
The ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program is a remote monitoring service provided by the Notal Vision Monitoring Center and includes a device that you use at home.
The device uses a test that only takes you a couple of minutes per eye per day to complete. It’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
The test is a series of dotted lines appearing on the screen of the device. Using the mouse that comes with the device, you click repeatedly on the “bumps” or “waves” that appear on the lines. The certified ophthalmic professionals at the Notal Vision Monitoring Center will make sure you fully understand how to use the device and take the test. The test allows the device to monitor for changes in your vision that could indicate the progression from dry to wet AMD so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible to maintain your good vision.
The device captures your responses, then an internal algorithm analyzes your results and compares them to your personal baseline as well as a large database of “normal” test results. Data from each test are sent to the Notal Vision Monitoring Center, the provider of ForeseeHome, who then alerts your eye doctor’s office of any significant changes. Your doctor will then determine the best course of action for you, which may include contacting you for a follow-up eye exam. The Notal Vision Monitoring Center will only contact you about changes in your vision if we are unable to reach your eye doctor’s office.
As part of the program, you have access to the online Patient Portal, which provides information on your testing cycles and testing frequency. Your eye doctor also has access to the doctor version of the portal to review your testing data.
How much does the ForeseeHome device cost or where can I buy one?
The ForeseeHome device is not available for sale and is only available as part of a comprehensive remote monitoring service.
Your eye doctor will refer you to the Notal Vision Monitoring Center, the provider of ForeseeHome, who loans you the device and bills you or your insurance a monthly monitoring service fee.
As 80% of the program is covered by Medicare Part B, patients with traditional Medicare Part B and a secondary supplement plan could have out-of-pocket costs as low as $0 per month once their Fee-for-Service yearly deductible is met. Learn more about Insurance Coverage.
How do I get the ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program?
The ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program is only available by referral from your eye doctor to the Notal Vision Monitoring Center. Visit How to Enroll to learn more.
Once you are enrolled in the program, we will review your insurance benefits verification and coverage options, ship the device to your home, train you on how to use the device over the phone and provide continuous monitoring support.
What is included in the ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program?
The ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring program is a comprehensive monitoring service that includes the ForeseeHome device, a monthly monitoring service, access to an online patient portal that shows your ForeseeHome data, and continuous engagement with the Notal Vision Monitoring Center Staff, who can help with any questions or concerns.
What types of eye doctors can order the ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program for their patients?
Optometrists, comprehensive ophthalmologists and/or retina specialists who manage patients with age-related macular degeneration can order the ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program for their patients.
If your doctor does not currently offer ForeseeHome, the Notal Vision Monitoring Center can assist your doctor’s office in becoming a referring partner. You can also find a ForeseeHome doctor in your area.
My doctor sent in a referral for ForeseeHome, what happens now?
Call the Notal Vision Monitoring Center at 1-888-910-2020 on the next business day (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm EST) to get started. If we don’t hear from you, we will call you to complete enrollment.
The Monitoring Center will review your insurance benefits and coverage options (learn more about Insurance Coverage), set up shipping the device to your home, train you on how to use the device over the phone, and provide continuous monitoring support while you’re enrolled in the program.
Note that every phone carrier is different, and the Notal Vision Monitoring Center phone number may come up as spam. Please look for our phone number (1-888-910-2020) and answer the call.
If the device detects a significant change in your test scores, confirmed by our team of ophthalmic professionals, we will notify your eye doctor's office who will determine the best course of action for you, which may include contacting you for a follow-up exam. The Notal Vision Monitoring Center will only contact you about changes in your vision if we are unable to reach your eye doctor's office.
