Agreement between a mobile applet‐based visual acuity self‐test program and the conventional method for distance and near visual acuity test

PURPOSE: To investigate the agreement between a mobile applet-based visual acuity (VA) self-test program and the conventional VA tests. METHODS: This consecutive case series study included 121 children and adults (242 eyes). Patients were classi�ed into three groups according to age (children, adolescents, and adults). They underwent uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) testing, distance visual acuity with frame spectacle (DVA with FS) testing at 2.5-m distance, uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) testing, and near visual acuity with frame spectacle (NVA with FS) testing at a 0.4-m distance using a mobile applet-based VA self-test program and conventional VA tests in two eyes. RESULTS: Correlations among UDVA, DVA with FS, UNVA, and NVA with FS between the two methods were signi�cant in all subjects (all P<0.001). The intraclass correlation coe�cient were 0.960. 0.845, 0.960, and 0.669, respectively (all P<0.001). The proportions of bias outside the 95% con�dence interval limit of agreements were 6.20%, 4.82%, 7.08%, and 6.10%, respectively. There were signi�cant differences in NVA with FS between the two methods (P<0.05) in the adolescent group, but no differences in measured parameters were found among children and adult groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is good agreement between the mobile applet-based VA self-test program and the conventional VA tests. The VA self-test has good practical value especially in the current pandemic, allowing self-screening of visual acuity, myopia control, and remote management of visual impairment in oculopathy.