PEEK Smartphone App for Portable Eye Exams
One aspect of mobile health that cuts costs and also increases availability of medical tools is using smartphone apps. PEEK, or Portable Eye Examination Kit, is a smartphone app in development to try and make available high quality tools available conveniently in developing countries.
It consists of a smartphone app that utilises the camera, LED flash and display to test multiple aspects of the eye exam including visual acuity, visual field, colour vision and many others. While currently not available for download, there is currently a large cohort study in Kenya comparing the effectiveness of PEEK with conventional tools. During this time, the app is also updated constantly to improve on problems encountered in real world testing. Details of patients can also be recorded and tagged using GPS with the PEEK app.
While it may still be a while before this app is available for general use, it does show that dramatic improvements in healthcare can come from something as simple as a smartphone app.
