More people are turning to online vision tests to receive vision care on their own terms—from confirming their visual acuity to getting a prescription for new glasses or contact lenses.
But what exactly constitutes an online vision test? How do they work?
In this blog, we’ll explore the three predominant types of online vision tests available in the market today. We’ll also examine their advantages and drawbacks, so you can determine which ones will give your business a competitive edge.
Online visual acuity tests
An online visual acuity test is a self-administered exam that determines how well someone can see with their existing glasses or contact lens prescription.
Patients can take this test at home to figure out if their existing prescription is still valid or if they need to schedule an appointment with an eye care professional (ECP) for a more comprehensive exam.
Optical providers can use an online acuity test in several ways to boost business. For example, the test can be used for patient outreach to incentivize those who have diminished visual acuity to schedule appointments.
Alternately, people who see well with their existing prescription can be funneled into different parts of the journey, like shopping for glasses or contact lenses. As a result, clinic chair time is optimized by offloading these simple and routine tests from ECPs.
For online eyewear retailers, online acuity tests can help to remove prescription uncertainty, empowering customers to shop online more confidently.
Online prescription renewal
Online prescription renewal typically combines an acuity test with a telehealth platform where licensed ECPs review test results to renew prescriptions or recommend more comprehensive, in-person testing and care.
People who can still see well with their expired prescription and are in good health can use an online prescription renewal solution to quickly and conveniently get their prescription renewed.
For businesses, an online prescription renewal solution can streamline the renewal process while improving the patient experience. And, eyewear and contact lens retailers can unblock online sales while ensuring regulatory compliance.
Online refraction exams
An online refraction exam checks for refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It’s more complex than a visual acuity test because it determines the appropriate lens power a patient needs to see clearly.
During an online refraction exam, the patient takes a series of subjective refraction assessments. Upon completion, an ECP reviews the results to confirm the suggested prescription parameters and issues a new prescription. Or, they may determine they cannot issue a new prescription and instead recommend a more comprehensive in-person exam.
This revolutionary technology holds a lot of potential for many businesses. Like online acuity tests, optical businesses that utilize an online refraction exam can optimize chair time while lowering costs for patients who qualify for the exam. Retailers can leverage them to attract new customers and unblock online purchases by making new prescriptions readily available.
What are the limitations of online vision tests?
Although online visual acuity tests, prescription renewal solutions, and refraction exams provide convenience and accessibility to people who need practical solutions right away, they’re not intended to replace comprehensive eye exams.
Only a qualified ECP can perform a thorough assessment to determine a person’s overall eye health and detect vision problems such as glaucoma or cataracts. In addition, they can provide specialized care to those who require more attention.
Online vision tests are not for everybody. Typically, an online renewal solution or a refraction exam will disqualify people for any of the following reasons:
- If they are outside of a given age range (typically excluding children and seniors)
- If they have severely impaired vision
- If imaging from the tests indicates an eye health concern
- If they have gone a significant period without getting their eyes examined by an ECP
Grow your business with Luna by your side
Online vision tests can bring added convenience to routine eye care and online eyewear and contact lens shopping while optimizing workflows and increasing revenue.
At Luna, we have a suite of vision solutions that can help you attract new customers or patients, drive more appointments and sales, and foster trust among your customers or patients:
To learn more about how Luna’s technologies can help take your business to the next level, get in touch with one of our vision experts today.
