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UAE: New smartphone app can check eye impairment in kids

Dubai - The app takes a picture of the eye from a smartphone and the results are available on the app in less than a minute

Now a smartphone app can help detect vision abnormalities in children. A UAE healthcare solutions company, Emitac Healthcare, has partnered with US digital health company GoCheck, to bring to the UAE a smartphone-enabled, integrated vision screening application for the detection of vision abnormalities in children.

Usually, it is a challenge to make very young kids undergo an eye checkup as they are too young to read. Also, making them sit in front of an eye testing machine can be difficult, but with the new digital screening application, the healthcare professional simply has to take a picture of the eye of the kid normally from a smartphone and the results of the eye condition will be available on the app in less than a minute, explained an official from Emitac.

GoCheck Kids is the only digital vision screening application for children from ages 1-18 built on a smartphone and also covers adults through an artificial intelligence-enabled patented technology on a smartphone. It will enable Emitac Healthcare to provide a complete vision screening solution to its customers in the UAE.

The screening can be done in a number of ways and can be performed by anyone ranging from healthcare professionals, nurses and can be also used at home for self-screening via visual acuity test through telehealth.

“Smart technologies and an IOS modern operating system help pediatric healthcare providers detect diseases in advance,” said Kevon Saber, chief executive officer of GoCheck, adding that the “partnership with Emitac Healthcare Solutions is a significant step toward empowering healthcare providers in the UAE with access to advanced vision-protecting screening technology.”

The service is currently available at several Aster clinics in the UAE and the service will be extended to other clinics and hospitals in the UAE soon.

A recent study conducted among the student population in government schools of the Hatta region in the UAE showed that a significant 59 per cent of students were detected to have uncorrected refractive errors despite having a school-based vision screening programme in place. Seventy-eight per cent of the amblyopia cases were found to be in the 11–19 years age group, Emitac said.

“Our partnership with GoCheck will enable us to reinforce the company’s mission to offer clinical innovation through new technology. Partnering with GoCheck will bring value and strength to the pediatric healthcare sector. Together, we will take vision screening in children in the UAE to the next level, fulfilling the market need for innovative solutions,” said Mohammad Kenanah, CEO of Emitac Healthcare Solutions.

GoCheck Kids is used by over 6,500 pediatric care teams in the US, Europe, and the Middle East as part of the routine health checkup for children and in vision screening programs conducted within primary care centers and schools.

The use of photo screeners, such as GoCheck Kids, are recommended by various medical societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics because traditional vision screening methods such as Snellen charts have zero positive predictive value among pre-school children.