Increasing access to eye care … there's an app for that. Peek: smartphone technology for eye health

Abstract

Peek, the Portable Eye Examination Kit, was developed and validated alongside a cohort study of eye disease in Nakuru, Kenya.1 In the cohort, the majority of participants with visual impairment were elderly, difficult to reach and had little or no access to eye care. Expertise and ophthalmic equipment required to perform a comprehensive eye examination in areas with poor or no road access, no electricity and considerable distances from the main towns and cities leads to an inverse relationship between eye care provision and eye care needs.2 In the past decade, mobile phone penetration has grown to reach near ubiquity in many of the most remote parts of the world. The growth has been greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) with some countries having, on average, more than one connected device per person of population.3 Despite areas of Kenya and other LMIC having no access to clean running water and sanitation services, the majority do have mobile phone connectivity. Peek harnesses the portability and connectivity of mobile devices to enable task-shifting and the ability to undertake a comprehensive eye examination at, or close to, the patient’s home.