EyeMD App Assists with Ophthalmology

Whenever a patient’s chart hits the “to be seen” rack and I notice they are presenting for an eye complaint, I wiggle uncomfortably in my seat.  I hate doing eye exams.

My fear of the eye exam stems from a few different factors.  First, my nurse practitioner program did a pretty poor job of preparing me to treat ophthalmological complaints.  I learned to use a Wood’s lamp in my first job and a slit lamp in my current position.  While I have now been properly trained, it takes a while to be confident diagnosing and treating eye problems.

Second, eyes are like testicles- people only have two and they place significant importance on their health.  I really don’t want to be responsible for misdiagnosing acute angle closure glaucoma as conjunctivitis.  There are some pretty serious vision-threatening eye diseases out there and the pressure to treat them accurately is immense.

Thankfully, a new app assists medical providers with a few key aspects of the eye exam.  No, it won’t take the place of the Wood’s lamp or pinpoint the location of a corneal abrasion but it can speed up your diagnosis.  The EyeMD app is essentially an all-in-one eye tool helping nurse practitioners with eye exam basics.

EyeMD takes the visual acuity test to the next level.  Not only does the app contain a Snellen chart preventing you from running all over the hospital looking for the one hanging on the wall, it allows you to check pupillary response with your phone’s camera flashlight.  EyeMD will even measure pupil size for you making comparisons easy.  The Ishihara color test tool allows providers to check for color blindness.

While there are plenty of visual acuity apps on the market, EyeMD is straightforward and easy to use.  Priced at just $0.99, EyeMD is a cost effective time saving tool.

Which medical apps do you use in your practice?

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