What is the difference between ExpressExam and an in-person eye exam?
At one point or another, you’ve probably heard of the term telemedicine. If you’re not sure what that means or how it affects you, don’t worry you’re not alone. Since COVID-19, telemedicine has seen a significant boost in its application and popularity, allowing more people access to the care they need. We’ve even ventured into telemedicine with our ExpressExam to help make sure no one runs out of contacts when they need them.
While we think telemedicine is a great opportunity for us to better serve our customers, we understand there might be some confusion about the difference between an in-person visit and a telemedicine eye exam. We’re here to clear some things up.
Acuity versus comprehensive eye exams
ExpressExam is not a comprehensive eye exam. Let’s get that out of the way early. It is a telemedicine eye exam. By the very nature of telemedicine, there are certain things we cannot provide to our customers simply due to technical requirements. There is no way for us to puff your eye through a screen and check your eye pressure. Not yet at least.
Since there are some limitations automatically built into telemedicine, what can ExpressExam do? How does an online eye exam work? Glad you asked. It can detect your visual acuity with your phone or laptop, which simply means it can check whether you can see as well as you should in your current contacts. It may not be able to check your eye pressure, but it can test if your prescription is correct or if you need an updated one. Plus, all your results will be verified by a board-certified eye doctor who understands telemedicine eye care.
Most people visit their eye doctors regularly simply to renew their prescription. ExpressExam allows people to do that from the comfort of their own homes. The best part is that the results are reviewed by a board-certified ophthalmologist to determine there are no red flags and that you can continue using the same prescription.
Which should you choose?
Telemedicine has come a long way in terms of what is available online, but a comprehensive eye exam is more in-depth. It's always recommended to visit your eye doctor if you have any concerns about your eye health.
ExpressExam is the perfect solution if you love your contacts and simply need to reorder, but don’t have time for the whole process of an in-person eye exam.