Colorado Springs– Gone may be the days of waiting rooms and completing stacks of paperwork all for just new prescription eyeglasses. As many with poor vision have experienced, going to get your eyes tested can be a time consuming and arduous task. Though a startup company in Colorado is looking to change that perception by launching an on-demand eye exam service that comes to you, whether it be your home or office.
Newly launched “PUPIL”, has taken the Optometrist’s office and fit it into a portable travel case which houses five or so devices that PUPIL claims are just as accurate as your eye doctor’s. After patients make an appointment via PUPIL’s website, a Certified ParaOptometric Technician arrives with said travel case in hand to oversee a 30 minute exam. Preformed by a technician- not an eye doctor- the data is then securely transmitted to a remote Optometrist who then prescribes new eyeglasses (if needed), or refers the patient to a local physician for further evaluation.
The on-demand mobile vision exam is largely made possible by advancements in medical technology which are making devices smaller and smarter. Data collected by PUPIL is instantly transferred from devices to a secure network for doctor review anywhere in the world. With the majority of individuals not seeing their current eye doctor as advised, PUPIL hopes to expand the reach of Optometry by making simple vision screenings more accessible, and less dreadful.
While PUPIL clearly states that their service is not a replacement for a comprehensive eye exam, technicians also capture images of the Retina and preform IntraOcular pressure tests to screen for ocular pathology—similar to that in nature of an exam preformed by an Optometrist in-office. PUPIL states that these tests are conducted to better assess ocular and refractive eye health, though not intended to provide diagnosis of eye disease, or replace your eye care practitioner.
A PUPIL eye exam will run $75 per patient (insurance not accepted) and spectacle prescriptions are typically written within 48 hours. Starting April 25th only patients in the Colorado Springs area will be able to make an appointment, however the company promises expansion in the coming months.
PUPIL joins a list of innovative telemedicine companies aiming to better improve access to care without the hassle of a typical doctor’s office.
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For more information on PUPIL’s mobile eye exams, visit: http://www.pupil.vision/
