By 2030, one in five United States residents will be retirement age, meaning that age-related illness will increasingly account for substantial healthcare costs. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the number one cause of severe, permanent vision loss in people over the age of 60. New data analysis demonstrates that ForeseeHome, a home-based AMD monitoring system, can detect wet AMD in its earliest stages.
AMD begins as a mild form of the disease, known as “dry” AMD. In about 10% of cases, dry AMD progresses to a more severe condition called “wet” AMD. Early medical intervention can slow the progression of wet AMD and, in some cases, preserve or improve long-term visual acuity.
Notal Vision, maker of several at-home products that monitor eye disease, created the ForeseeHome platform. Patients take a quick test every day using an FDA-approved, patient-operated diagnostic device that scans the inside of the eyes. The device sends test results to healthcare teams over the ForeseeHome web platform, allowing for precision monitoring that is not possible with occasional in-person visits alone. The platform also uses AI-enabled data science to identify markers of dry to wet conversion.
The new data comes from a retrospective study of medical records from the Notal Vision Diagnostic Clinic in Manassas, VA, dating from 2009-2018. Researchers identified 306 eyes in these records that ultimately converted from dry to wet AMD.
In 69% of these real-world cases, ForeseeHome accurately identified early signs of progression. Within this cohort, 83% maintained functional visual acuity, compared to 34% of standard-care patients, based on records from a national ophthalmology registry.
By increasing the chances of receiving early intervention for wet AMD, remote monitoring can help preserve patient quality of life along with visual acuity. It also helps reduce the cost of accommodations and long-term healthcare for visually impaired seniors. In addition, ForseeHome minimizes the risk of contracting COVID-19 for providers and their older patients.
