04/17/2025
Online Vision Screenings Are Convenient, But Provide “False Sense Of Security” About Eye Health, Experts Say
Yahoo! Lifestyle (4/14, Pevzner ) reported online vision tests allow users to assess their “visual acuity by following a series of prompts, like reading letters on a screen that decrease in size.” An eye doctor then “reviews your results to determine if your current prescription” is fine or needs to be changed. Experts, however, urge caution when skipping “an in-person eye exam for online convenience.” Dr. Steven Reed, OD, president of the American Optometric Association, explained, “There are 12 important tests performed during an in-person eye examination, but online vision tests attempt to replace just one of these elements, which is refraction.” Reed warns that eye diseases may remain undetected in online vision tests, which can “give patients a false sense of security that their eye health has been thoroughly examined when it’s not.” He added, “Right now, online vision screening services aren’t required to meet the same criteria as a comprehensive eye exam, which means you could miss crucial health diagnoses.” The AOA recommends scheduling an annual in-person eye and vision exam for all adults aged 18 to 64.
