THE ESSENTIAL
- Retinal pathologies, such as AMD or macular edema, are the main causes of low vision and blindness in Europe.
- The use of this application is contraindicated for people with epilepsy.
Playing could preserve our health. Health Insurance is currently experimenting with the Odysight video game. Available on smartphones, it can detect vision problems but not treat them. It must be prescribed by an ophthalmologist, who can use the patient’s results to identify a vision disorder.
Odysight: which games are reimbursed by health insurance?
The Odysight game is based on two tools: visual tests and puzzles. It is intended for patients who require regular visual monitoring, especially those who suffer from retinal pathologies or are likely to develop them. “The puzzles, which are original, fun and of increasing difficulty, strengthen patients’ motivation to carry out their examinations: users who solve puzzles are actually 3 times more attentive over time“, its creators specify on their website.
Thanks to a dashboard, the prescriber has access to all the patient’s results in real time. “If the application detects a decrease in visual acuity, it invites the patient to repeat a test the next day, develops the Odysight press release. If the second test confirms the results, a vision loss notification is sent to the patient, prompting him to make an appointment with the healthcare professional.“At the same time, the doctor sees his patient’s profile displayed in red on his dashboard.
Why does health insurance reimburse a video game?
The repayment of Odysight is permitted under Article 51 of the Social Security Funding Act. In the case of”innovations that contribute to improving the care process for patients and the efficiency of the healthcare systemIn short, it aims to identify pathologies early enough to enable better management and to avoid unnecessary check-ups.
In his project, Edouard Gasser, co-founder of the startup Tilak Healthcare, which created the game, also explains that he wants “provide an answer to a structural demographic “scissors effect”: the density of ophthalmologists is decreasing, while the number of patients with chronic maculopathies is increasing, mainly due to the aging of the population“.
So far, the application is in the experimental phase: 1,500 patients have received specific codes to use the game for free. Ultimately, it should be included in the list of products and devices reimbursed by health insurance.
