EXCLUSIVE: Meeting in the middle – Increasing accessibility for low vision technology
Roland Mattern, Director of Marketing for eSight, talks about how the COVID pandemic forced a culture of change and has made accessing assistive technologies and associated services remotely easier and more accessible for professionals and users alike.
In 1975, Caltech professor Carver Mead coined “Moore’s Law,” a hypothesis that claims that technology would develop exponentially as semiconductors increased capacity at an alarming clip. The MedTech community has seen incredible improvements over the past 50 years, but one of the biggest gaps in global development remains in assistive technology and its accessibility. The events of the past two years have made this more apparent, especially in the realm of vision loss.
As the global population ages and global climate and health crises continue to worsen, those with disabilities face higher healthcare needs, barriers to access and, overall, less coverage. A 2011 study by the World Health Organization corrected a previous estimate of the percentage of the global population living with some form of disability from 10 percent in 1970 to 15 percent. A recent study by the Missing Billion Initiative called for governments across the globe to improve the capacity of one billion people with critical disabilities over the next 10 years. Can healthcare systems, government and tech companies find a way to meet in the middle to provide better healthcare?
Starting in 2020, many companies and healthcare systems improved their remote appointment capacities due to limiting factors from the global pandemic. Thanks to advances in technological and cultural shifts, even niche specialists and treatments are no longer limited to those with the means to travel for a face-to-face consultation. Advances in technology allowed a switch to a full or hybrid telehealth model, wherein high-traffic fields like ophthalmology were able to quickly reassess and pivot to allow their low-vision patient to stay away from potential viral transmission, reclaim their time and save money on travel, and guarantee higher rates of patient satisfaction and follow-up adherence. In fact, according to a 2021 survey on telehealth services in Great Britain, 78 percent of respondents agreed that telehealth is more time effective than in-person consultations. Additionally, 61 percent of respondents agreed that telehealth services provide more accessibility to quality healthcare.
For those with disabilities, teleservices can make a huge difference for someone who otherwise would not have access to assistive technology. For example, at eSight, we have made it possible to offer our wearable device for in-person and remote consultations to provide the best accessibility for those interested in our technology. Our company pairs each interested individual with a consultant to walk through an in-home try-on, no specialty clinic necessary. Once someone purchases an eSight device, we match them with an eSight certified coach (all of whom are also eSight users) who assist in navigating the new device through video support.
Despite a considerable increase in telehealth offerings, barriers to remote retinal care still remain. Like all aspects of medical care, the healthcare industry struggles to reach and provide treatment for underserved communities. With a strong telehealth network, providers can give patients the best of both telemedicine and in-person treatment. To optimise retinal care, vision checks with specially designed technology can be used in tandem with a routine hospital visit through remote care.
Above all, those with disabilities want affordable health services, accessible settings and options within reach. Assistive technology only works when the people who need it most can access it. Technology exists to meet those in need where they are; it is only a matter of what each company or healthcare system can do to learn about these pain points and make it possible to change lives for the better.
In order to continue improving the quality of healthcare in a rapidly evolving industry, providers need to continually advance their telehealth services by incorporating the technology available to them. If the ophthalmology industry has proven anything over the past couple of years, it’s that advancement in patient care is not only attainable, but essential. Will other specialties follow?
If you want to learn more about eSight, visit our website at www.esighteyewear.com for additional information.