Zeiss introduces new vision screening tool

Zeiss has released a new online vision screening tool that covers five testing areas, aiming to engage patients and connect them with local eye care professionals.

The Zeiss Online Vision Screening app has been designed as an additional public engagement tool, guiding the user through five areas: visual acuity, contrast vision, colour vision, astigmatism and a central visual field check.

The app is available free of charge and the user does not need to register. To set up the app, the user calibrates their screen relative to the size of a credit card.

Results are shown according to the regional standard while an FAQ and help section are available for those who need more information.

Once the user has received their results at the end of the tests, they can use the search function to find their closest eye care professional.

Releasing the new app, Zeiss shared: “Digital has become the new normal, meaning increased demands are being placed on our eyes.”

Describing regular sight testing as a “must,” the company added: “Many consumers underestimate how soon they will be due for another eye test; this is because visual performance can deteriorate slowly.”

With consumer expectations shifting, Zeiss shared: “apps are used extensively for fitness and health-related activities. As a starting point, a high-quality online screening is the first part of the customer journey for their visual health.”

The company emphasised that professional vision screening and in-depth examinations and consultations must always be done in an optical practice, but that the tool can be used to engage consumers.

The app guides users through five different tests; visual acuity, contrast vision, colour vision, astigmatism and visual field, before recommending local practices

The tests

The internationally standardised Landolt C symbol is used for testing visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and the Amsler Test is used to check central visual field.

For the astigmatism test, the user is shown a striped pattern and must identify potential differences in shades of black, while colour vision is tested through identifying numbers made up of different coloured dots.