Visibly
Digital Vision Tests made Convenient

In a world where modern technology allows one the luxury to skip their visit to the grocery store, order branded clothing from the comfort of their home, or even purchase medicines online, people expect services to be delivered at their convenience and time. When Dr. Steven Lee, a practicing optometrist, encountered a few patients who kept canceling their appointments repeatedly due to lack of time, he decided to devise a method that would provide an alternative to the traditional way of taking eye tests. Based on the principles of a phoropter, he attempted to digitalize and formulate a technology that would be at par with the in-person experience. His idea led to the conception of Visibly, the world’s first online eye test provider which allowed its customers to take a vision test from home with the issuance of a prescription within twenty-four hours. Especially in the U.S., where obtaining and renewing prescriptions is mandatory for purchasing contacts or glasses, people with busy work schedules are given the option to choose a convenient time to get their vision tested. “We give patients control over the prescription process by doing it in an affordable, time-effective, safe, and accurate way,” adds Brent Rasmussen, CEO, Visibly.

The company has designed its platform in a way that makes users at home achieve the same result as they would through an experienced optometrist or ophthalmologist. One can access the software through their smartphones and desktops where automated voice commands guide the user during the entire process. Through a series of tests, the platform measures how well a patient is seeing for which a designated ophthalmologist or optometrist issues a new vision prescription.

Being a software solution, it caters to both in-store and digital platforms. By incorporating Visibly’s test into their website, e-tailers enhance the online experience for their customers. After taking the tests online, a prescription is issued from one of Visibly’s network of doctors through e-mail.

On the other hand, during the absence of an optometrist in a retail store, the patient can easily take the eye test through Visibly’s software, and the results are sent to the store.

We give patients control over the prescription process by doing it in an affordable, time-effective, safe, and accurate way

Many doctors with independent practices also use Visibly’s software to remind their patients to take the test at home for which results would be available at the clinic and in case additional tests need to be performed, they can provide for the same. This process creates efficiency in the consumer and optometrist relationship. In some circumstances, if the patient has given inconsistent responses on a test because of which the doctor is not convinced with the results, the same patient is considered disqualified. During such a scenario, Visibly takes the responsibility to ensure that patients get the appropriate medical care required.

One of the company’s partners, a large online marketing company conducted surveys on their patients’ experience after using Visibly’s vision test and deduced that on a scale of one to five, their UX/UI experience had an average rating of 4.5. The company has benefitted upto an extent where their revenue from glasses and contacts is higher than the fee they pay to Visibly.

Given the popularity of their solution, the company plans to expand to many other countries by the end of 2019. This year, Visibly is looking to expand its digital technologies beyond measuring a patient’s visual acuity. In the last 12 months, the number of vision tests taken online has tripled, which signifies Visibly’s accuracy and popularity among customers.