A study published in the European Journal of Pediatrics explored the use of a smartphone app for assessing vision during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app, called TreC Oculistica, proved to be easy for families to use and reliable for clinicians. It enabled tests for color blindness, inherited retinal diseases, and visual acuity. Teleophthalmology and digital innovations were introduced to prevent virus transmission in clinics and allowed clinicians to evaluate ocular diseases remotely. The TreC Oculistica app aimed to promote a cooperative patient-doctor relationship and included a clinical dashboard and patient app. In-person visits were conducted as needed, while follow-up visits could be done remotely through the app. The study included 97 patients who downloaded and activated the app, with 57 being females. The app provided tests for visual acuity, ocular motility, head posture, and color vision. Clinicians selected specific tests for their patients from within the app. Overall, families found the app intuitive to use, and clinicians considered the results reliable. However, researchers noted that visual acuity scores differed from clinical settings, indicating some limitations. The study concluded that the TreC Oculistica app, along with its associated test apps (9Gaze, eyeTilt, and Color Blind test), was useful for assessing vision due to its ease of use and reliable results.

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