i3 - May/June 2017 - 40

Policy

By Bronwyn Flores

FAC E S O F I N N OVAT I O N

Andrew Burns, CEO,
Gobiquity Mobile Health

Their app uses smartphones to increase
access to and distribution of vision treatment. Their first product, GoCheck Kids,
can identify risk factors for a condition
called amblyopia just by taking a photo
with a smartphone. The app turns the
smartphone into a mobile photo refractometer which identifies if a child is nearsighted or farsighted, and if he or she
has unequal eye developments.
GoCheck Kids uses the camera's red
eye detection function to measure the
refractive area of the eye to determine
whether a person has a vision disorder.
In just over a year, GoCheck Kids has
screened more than 200,000 children
and expects to double that number by
year end. Gobiquity is also expanding into
consumer segments to better empower
the ecosystem to have access to vision
tools. Andrew Burns, CEO, Gobiquity
Mobile Health recently talked with i3.
40

MAY/JUNE 2017

Q What regulatory challenges do you face?
A When we started the company, our
thorough quality and regulatory approval
process provided structure in a way that
allowed for scalability and compliance
with the Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
regulatory requirements. We provide a comprehensive vision suite that enables pediatricians to perform two vision screening tests
on our existing application. The first is a
mobile quote screening test which analyzes
the eye in real time to determine if a child has
risk factors. This test is predominantly used
for children between six months and six
years in age. We also have a visual acuity test
for children ages five and above. The test
replaces the traditional wall eye chart with
a gamified version. Both of these are FDA
regulated applictions. Our photo screener
uses an ophthalmic camera and is a class two
510(k) exempt medical device. The gamified
eye chart is a class one medical device.

Q What's next for Gobiquity?
A There are two opportunities we're focusing on in 2017. First, we are helping professionals access our solution. We can still
enable greater access to vision screening,
monitoring and early detection, and we can
help collaborate with the treatment. We will
announce it later this year. Second, we are
entering the adult space. In particular, retinal
disease that creates blindness is growing in
our aging population. The biggest gap in that
market is the lack of early detection. In the
U.S. there are more than 2.3 million people
with age-related macular degeneration that
don't know it. We have the ability to test for it
on a smartphone so people can be treated.
That improves quality of life and lowers individual healthcare costs over time. ■
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

Courtesy of Gobiquity

he World Health Organization predicts that 360 million
people may be visually impaired by 2020. Gobiquity,
a connected health software platform created in 2013,
is committed to overcoming this global challenge by using smartphones to detect, prevent and treat vision impairment.

Q Where do you see the future
of health tech?
A It's very exciting what's happening right
now. Smartphone adoption and the evolution of how smartphones can be utilized to
support the connected health experience
are paramount for us. We're utilizing everything - whether it is the front screen or the
back in terms of the camera lens and the
flash - and we're excited about the developments that continue to take place. The
iPhone 7 Plus is one example of what our
team can develop when a new smartphone
is introduced. We're going to have more
opportunities for screening and monitoring
thanks to broadly available mobile technology. We're going to empower consumers
not only in the form of patients, but we're
also going to empower caregivers and
other stakeholders to be better connected
across the healthcare ecosystem. This
allows for proactive access to data and
brings more objectivity to self-reported
data. Additionally, this information will
complement the delivery of care. We're
well-positioned for the natural progression
of connected health care that will lead
to mass adoption.

http://www.gobiquity.com https://www.gocheckkids.com/

i3 - May/June 2017

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