FEASIBILITY OF A NOVEL REMOTE DAILY MONITORING SYSTEM FOR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION USING MOBILE HANDHELD DEVICES: Results of a Pilot Study

Purpose: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of the Health Management Tool (HMT), a novel computing system using mobile handheld devices, to remotely monitor retinal visual function daily in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with ranibizumab. Methods: Patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration in at least 1 eye (newly diagnosed or successfully treated < 1 year) and eligible for ranibizumab therapy were enrolled in this 16-week, prospective, open-label, single-arm study. Patients performed a shape discrimination hyperacuity test (myVisionTrack [mVT]) daily on the HMT device (iPhone 3GS) remotely and at all clinic visits. Data entered into HMT devices were collected in the HMT database, which also sent reminders for patients to take mVT. Results: Among 160 patients from 24 U.S. centers enrolled in the study (103 [64%] ≥75 years of age), 84.7% on average complied with daily mVT testing and ∼98.9% complied with at least weekly mVT testing. The HMT database successfully uploaded more than 17,000 mVT assessment values and sent more than 9,000 reminders. Conclusion: Elderly patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration were willing and able to comply with daily self-testing of retinal visual function using mobile handheld devices in this novel system of remote vision monitoring.

[1]  Kang Zhang,et al.  Shape discrimination test on handheld devices for patient self-test , 2010, IHI.

[2]  J. R. Ferencz,et al.  TOWARD EARLIER DETECTION OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION SECONDARY TO AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION: Multicenter Evaluation of a Preferential Hyperacuity Perimeter Designed as a Home Device , 2010, Retina.

[3]  P. Mitchell,et al.  Ranibizumab (Lucentis) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration: evidence from clinical trials , 2009, British Journal of Ophthalmology.

[4]  Gary Rubin,et al.  The Amsler chart: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence , 2007, British Journal of Ophthalmology.

[5]  B. Powers,et al.  Feasibility of blood pressure telemonitoring in patients with poor blood pressure control , 2009, Journal of telemedicine and telecare.

[6]  Albert O Edwards,et al.  Shape discrimination in age-related macular degeneration. , 2002, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[7]  Benjamin Powers,et al.  Hypertension Intervention Nurse Telemedicine Study (HINTS): testing a multifactorial tailored behavioral/educational and a medication management intervention for blood pressure control. , 2007, American heart journal.

[8]  J Kuchenbecker,et al.  Visual function tests on the Internet – sense or nonsense? , 2004, Strabismus.

[9]  R. Trevino.  Recent progress in macular function self‐assessment , 2008, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[10]  P. Kaiser,et al.  Ranibizumab for predominantly classic neovascular age-related macular degeneration: subgroup analysis of first-year ANCHOR results. , 2007, American journal of ophthalmology.

[11]  R. Bhisitkul,et al.  Subgroup analysis of the MARINA study of ranibizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. , 2007, Ophthalmology.