The Vision Care Institute has launched a Clinical Grading Scales App, an educational tool designed to help practitioners assess the severity and evaluate the progression of complications associated with contact lens wear.
Based on the clinical assessment guide derived from the grading scales developed by Prof. Nathan Efron, ECPs can use this resource during patient evaluations and follow-up. “Grading scales for contact lens complications are used extensively in optometric practice for a variety of purposes,” says Sheila Hickson-Curran, BSc(Hons), MCOptom, FAAO, DipCCLR, director, global strategic medical affairs, Vistakon Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. “This new app can assist practitioners in accurate and consistent clinical record keeping and help patients maintain healthy contact lens wear.”
The new app allows users to evaluate nine common eye conditions (bulbar redness, corneal staining, lid redness, lid roughness, limbal redness, meibomian gland dysfunction, pterygium, pinguecula and cortical cataract) with severity levels that lessen and increase with real-time animation based on touch. It evaluates the progression of complications by comparing severity levels in 0.1 increments side-by-side. It will demonstrate clinical assessment to patients and export a report for office records without collecting personal data. It will also allow users to view a comprehensive assessment guide including slit lamp illumination techniques, corneal inflammation vs. infection, signs of oxygen deficiency, staining and lid assessments and more.
The Vision Care Institute Clinical Grading Scales is a free app, compatible with the iPhone, and can be downloaded via the Apple App Store. It is not intended as, and does not constitute medical or optometric advice, the company points out. It is only available in the US App Store at this time. For more information, visit www.thevisioncareinstitute.com
