Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of central vision loss among older adults worldwide. Patients with AMD often require frequent monitoring of visual function and disease progression, typically through multiple follow-up visits involving optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual acuity testing (VA), and clinical consultations.
While digital self-monitoring tools have emerged as promising solutions to reduce the burden of in-clinic visits, many elderly patients face challenges in engaging with these platforms due to visual impairment, limited digital literacy, and poorly optimised user interfaces. These barriers may reduce patient willingness to adopt such systems and undermine their long-term effectiveness.
To address this gap, the study team has developed the web-based AVIGA (Automated Vision Impairment Gaze-tracking Analysis) system, which is a portable, self-administered, home-based digital monitoring system designed to minimise cognitive load and maximise usability for elderly AMD patients. The platform integrates patient-centred design principles such as simplified navigation, optimised text, and multimodal feedback (visual and audio) to empower users to independently track their visual health.
A prospective, single-site usability trial to evaluate the AVIGA platform using validated human factors measures: the System Usability Scale (SUS), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) will be conducted. By examining the relationship between usability, cognitive load, and perceived empowerment, this study aims to identify critical user interface and user experience (UI/UX) design factors that influence willingness to adopt and sustain use of digital health tools among elderly AMD patients.
Subjects in the age group ≥ 55 to 99 years old.
Both genders
Able to understand verbal spoken instructions in British/American English, Chinese or Bahasa Melayu and demonstrate device functionality and implementation.
Subjects undergoing treatment for Wet-AMD without any signs and symptoms of recurrence of active AMD (AMD recurrence: choroidal neovascularisation, intraretinal or subretinal fluid is present) with OCT lesion fluid volume more than 2mm2 or ILM height more than 300µm.
Unable to understand verbal spoken instructions and demonstrate device functionality and implementation.
Unable to turn on and connect their computer to the AVIGA platform independently.
Any ocular surgery in the previous 3 months, or vitrectomy in the previous 12 months
Any history of macular pathology unrelated to AMD affecting vision or contributing to the presence of intraretinal or subretinal fluid in the study eye