Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the operability of two rebound tonometers, which are designed for self-measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) in a clinical setting by untrained persons.
Methods:
After self-measurement of IOP with two rebound tonometers (iCare ONE and iCare HOME) probands were asked to complete a questionnaire containing different subitems concerning operability using a visual analog scale (1 = very good, 5 = very poor). Moreover, the feasibility and duration of measurement were tested.
Results:
Sixty-four probands participated in this study. The mean of general operability was 2.72 ± 0.95 for the iCare ONE and 1.84 ± 0.96 for the iCare HOME (p < 0.001). The evaluation of the subitems sense of safety (iCare ONE: 2.77 ± 0.96; iCare HOME: 1.86 ± 0.77; p < 0.001) and comfort of measurement (iCare ONE: 2.06 ± 1.02; iCare HOME: 1.66 ± 0.62; p = 0.04) also showed a significant discrepancy between the two tonometers. Probands needed significantly less time for a single, valid measurement when using the iCare HOME tonometer (45.05 ± 42.66 seconds) compared to the iCare ONE tonometer (62.75 ± 52.19 seconds; p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
Both, the iCare ONE tonometer and the iCare HOME tonometer, obtained a satisfactory evaluation in terms of operability. However, the iCare HOME received a significantly better evaluation for all subitems and also showed a significant shorter duration of measurement when used by untrained persons. Hence, the iCare HOME seems to be a more suitable instrument for self-measurement of IOP.