Blink launches first EVER on-demand eye test. Say what?! That’s right y’all, there’s a way to get an eye exam without even leaving your home, or office, or favorite spot at that coffee shop that’s always packed and by divine fate you found your own private corner away from people and NOT near the bathrooms.
So how does it work? Well I had one done a couple of weeks back so let me tell you first hand. You set up an appointment via their website (I did not do this portion, a kind gentlewoman did this for me as they were in the beta stages) and a rep comes to your home with a briefcase. At first it resembled something Inspector Gadget would carry around hiding some super spy gadgets inside (they don’t) but once they open, it resembled that of a mini eye doctors room – equipped with the reading chart et al. :: 20 minutes pass:: Eye exam is complete and my rep, Greg, provided me with a tentative prescription. Tentative because Greg is not an optometrist. All the information gathered from you throughout your tests will be sent to licensed and practicing doctors who will get back to you with your proper script.
Here’s the thing, I’m skeptical about everything and don’t believe hype even when my glazed eyes and warm grin convince you otherwise. I had actually just gotten my eyes retested late last year and was aware of my visionary ailments – very slight astigmatism, conjunctivitis, and the need to remove my lenses every night. So I basically was sure I’d call malarkey on whatever my returned script read, because as I stated before, I know my eyes!
Results arrive. ::Maury crowd goes silent:: Tillie your Rx are a match! ::Tillie’s jaw drops and she runs offstage crying::
All jokes aside, Dr. Neil Schafran, the optometrist who later took a look at my results came back with the exact diagnostics my most recent optometrist advised:
“Sounds like you are experiencing either an allergic conjunctivitis, or contact lens irritation. Netra can give you an eyeglass correction which will give you very good distance vision. Wear glasses for a week, or so, to let your eyes recover.”
As of right now, Blink only offers eyeglass prescriptions but soon hope to offer examination for contact lenses and comprehensive exams. So get ready to say “Adios” to boring waiting room magazines with your doctors home addresses haphazardly censored with an obviously cheap Sharpie.