Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are six times more likely to go partially or completely blind than non-Indigenous Australians. In 94% of cases it can be corrected, but with more than one-third of Indigenous adults never having had an eye exam, we first need to concentrate on making this service more accessible. Peek aims to help with that, by using smartphones.
Peek contains all of the tools needed to carry out a comprehensive mobile eye exam, straight from your smartphone — and it’s as easy as taking a photo.
Dr Andrew Bastawrous, Ophthalmologist and research lead at Peek, explains how it works in his TED talk:
The aim is a product that makes eye exams fast, accurate, easy and suitable for remote regions and areas with limited or no access to electricity. It is also suitable for those who don’t read English.
Peek provides the viewer with a live simulation of the patient’s vision compared to healthy vision, which can then be sent via data or WiFi connection (when available) to the relevant treatment clinic to be viewed and assessed by specialists.
The team at Peek are already working with Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, carrying out in-field research on the effectiveness of the app all over the world.
Commercial manufacture and shipping of Peek is expected to begin in early 2016.