When one thinks of visual rehabilitation, the thought immediately goes to those who have completely lost their sight. In fact, its applications today are much wider because – before blindness – there are several other forms of low vision. Not surprisingly, the World Health Organization points out the rehabilitation of visual impairment as one of the priorities in the ophthalmology field that the Health Services are called upon to address. In fact, with the exponential increase in the prevalence and incidence of degenerative ocular diseases, especially those related to age, and with the progressive aging of the population, the number of visually impaired people has grown dramatically. Precisely to meet these new needs, the National Center of Services and Research for the prevention of blindness of Iapb has devised a program of visual tele-rehabilitation, Eye Fitness which then developed more rapidly during the pandemic, thus managing to guarantee assistance despite the limitations imposed. A healthy Retina, Filippo Amore, director of the National Center of Services and Research for the Prevention of Blindness and Visual Rehabilitation, tells what EyeFitness consists of and which patients it is aimed at.
What is EyeFitness?
“This is a home training software developed by the National Low Vision Pole in collaboration with NIDEK Technologies that allows you to carry out personalized rehabilitation exercises from home, with your computer, constantly remotely monitored by the team of the Center at the Gemelli Hospital. From Rome”.
For which patients is this visual training indicated?
“We use it mainly in age-related diseases such as age-related macular degenerations, dystrophies of the macular area and in some patients with glaucoma. With this first pilot study we were able to treat 100 patients between 70 and 85 years of age who would otherwise be stayed in the Gemelli hospital outpatient clinic for three months. “
Did the project develop during the pandemic?
“We had already developed it before because one of the main problems encountered today in visual rehabilitation is the logistical problem. In order to be followed at the rehabilitation center, the patient must often give up because he is unable to reach him – precisely because he is disabled and because of age – according to the deadlines. With teleophthalmology the problem can be overcome. Therefore, the health emergency has pushed us to implement EyeFitness with greater urgency “.
How the protocol works: are there any eye ‘training’ exercises?
“Eyefitness is an easy-to-use tool to support visual rehabilitation, as it requires any PC or tablet and an internet connection. It is made up of 17 exercises for a total of 15 sessions and aims to enhance the visual function of patients. suffering from various eye diseases. The software allows the strengthening of visual-specific skills, such as reading, by increasing the stability of fixation, increasing the ability of visual discrimination, improving eye-manual coordination and re-education of slow and fast eye movements “.
So is the training plan personalized?
“The visual stimulation exercises are configured by the rehabilitation therapist on the basis of the clinical-functional data of the patient’s ophthalmological evaluation. Furthermore, all the exercises can be customized according to the patient’s visual characteristics by modifying various parameters such as, for example, the type of stimuli, their size and contrast “.
Is access to the EyeFitness software free?
“In this research project, the home training software has been recognized by the European Union as a medical device and therefore the service is granted free of charge by the regional health service. view your exercises that have a progression based on the improvement obtained over time. The exercise is viewed live by the operator of the Center who can monitor the daily progression so that you can move on to the next exercise “.
What benefits does the patient derive?
“There is a clear improvement of some functional parameters that are measured at the entrance such as reading speed and acuity, but also the stability of fixation of an object. Patients realize day after day that they are able to perform again some actions such as counting money or reading bills. What we still do not know is how long the effect lasts, but we are evaluating it through this pilot project which is underway, as well as at the Gemelli clinic in Rome, at the Careggi Hospital in Florence, in Verona, at the Center of Chieti and breaking latest news and Catanzaro). But the project has become international and is also underway in Canada where we are having a notable response “.
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