Diagnostic software being trialled at the Eye and Ear’s Emergency Department is providing timely answers for patients presenting with reduced vision.
Melbourne Rapid Fields (MRF) is a groundbreaking application developed by Associate Professor George Kong, glaucoma specialist and general ophthalmologist at the Eye and Ear.
MRF is a first level of diagnosis for glaucoma and other neurological conditions such as stroke and optic neuritis.
MRF is used on devices such as laptops and tablets and is proving patient friendly and easier for staff to use in an emergency setting than standard visual field machines, which often require specialised staff to use.
“Nursing staff and doctors at the Eye and Ear have been using MRF regularly over the past six months in the Emergency Department,” Dr Kong said.
“It is particularly useful out of hours when access to a standard visual field machine might not be available.”
The trial runs until the end of 2024, but Dr Kong said staff feedback has indicated that the browser application is easy to set up and use, has multiple languages for non-English speaking patients, and provides training.
When being tested using MRF, a patient sits half a metre from the computer screen. Advanced web-cam enabled technology is used by MRF to ensure that patient positioning is optimal.
The software can be used on any type of digital device with a web-browser including tablets, laptops or desktop computers running Android, Apple or Windows.
The Eye and Ear trial complements a home-based clinical trial where patients use MRF on their home-device to measure their vision fields for glaucoma. The home-based trial was supported by a grant from auDA Foundation.
Visual field testing plays a crucial role in the management of glaucoma, a progressive eye disease that can lead to irreversible vision loss.
Dr Kong, who has collaborated with Professor Algis Vingrys from Melbourne University’s Department of Optometry and Vision Science, said the trials at home and in the Emergency Department will help reduce wait times for patients and their need to travel to appointments.
This project is generously funded by auDA Foundation.
To learn more about the Eye and Ear’s research, read the 2023-24 edition of Innovate.
