Welch Allyn, founded in 1915, is now a global manufacturer of medical diagnostic equipment with nearly 2,500 employees working in 26 different countries. They manufacturer a wide range of medical devices and products from physical assessment, vital signs monitoring to thermometry. Some of you might be familiar with the Welch Allyn Suresight vision screener. The replacement, Spot Vision Screener, is one of the leading photoscreeners on the market.
Mission:
Welch Allyn provides superlative medical products, services and solutions which are used by healthcare professionals at the point of care in acute and primary settings all around the world.
Clinical Efficacy2
Studies
8
Specificity
85%
Sensitivity
80%
PPV
87%
Inconclusives
4%
Detects:
- Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Anisometropia
- Astigmatism
- Strabismus
- Anisocoria
Workflow
EHR integration
No
Bulk Patient Entry
Can import future subjects by using a spreadsheet file and usb import
Enterprise User Management
No
Instant Results
Yes
View Results on PC
Can view results on a device or from a PC on the same network as the device
Price3
CPT Codes
99177
Cost
$7,490
Service
Battery replacement every 2.5 years
Warranty
$300 Per Year
Software & Security
Soc 2 Certified
Unknown
HIPAA Compliant
Yes
Software Upgrades
Unit can be returned to the service facility to receive software updates, some updates can be downloaded online
How Does the Spot Vision Screener Compare to Other Photoscreeners?
Below, we compare the top photoscreeners using four main components: workflow efficiency, clinical efficacy, cost over time, and modernized security. Those photoscreeners are Plusoptix, GoCheck Kids, Spot Vision Screener, and iScreen Vision.
5 years is the typical lifespan of hardware-based screeners. The calculation in the 5 Year Cost Estimate row below includes the device purchase price, warranty/repairs, and the technician/nurse’s administrative time at $15 per hour plus benefits.
Because iScreen has a device purchase price plus a price per screen, the screening fee is calculated at $5 per screen and 30 screens per month. Go here for a deeper analysis of all four photoscreeners.
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- GoCheck Kids
- $0
- $8,940
- CPT 99177 & 99174
- Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener
- $7,490
- $25,890
- CPT 99177
- Plusoptix Vision Screener
- Partial
- $6,500
- $16,250
- CPT 99177
- iScreen Vision Screener
- $5,000
- $31,500
- CPT 99174
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Per Device Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Free Trial
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- GoCheck Kids
- $0
- $8,940
- CPT 99177 & 99174
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Per Device Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener
- $7,490
- $25,890
- CPT 99177
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Per Device Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- iScreen Vision Screener
- $5,000
- $31,500
- CPT 99174
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Per Device Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- Plustopix Vision Screener
- Partial
- $6,500
- $16,250
- CPT 99177
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Per Device Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- GoCheck Kids
- $0
- $8,940
- CPT 99177 & 99174
- Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener
- $7,490
- $25,890
- CPT 99177
- Photoscreener
- EHR Integration
- Per Device Upfront Cost
- Per Device 5 Year Cost Estimate
- Screening Review
- Warranty/Upgrades Included
- CPT Codes
- Clinically Validated
- Plustopix Vision Screener
- Partial
- $6,500
- $16,250
- CPT 99177
- iScreen Vision Screener
- $5,000
- $31,500
- CPT 99174
The Winner: GoCheck Kids
While all the photoscreeners are clinically validated, GoCheck Kids has superior economics and workflow.
Unlike the Spot Vision Screener, in addition to providing immediate results, our clinical team remotely analyzes results to reduce false positives.
And unlike all other photoscreeners including the Spot Vision Screener, our bilateral EHR integration saves your staff time which accounts for thousands per year in cost savings. Not to mention, it takes under 60 seconds to perform the screen.
Furthermore, GoCheck Kids is on an iPhone, which increases the ease of getting an accurate screening. Children tend to be compliant because they regularly get their picture taken with a phone.
Lastly, there are no upfront costs, and all clinics receive a free trial period. Afterward, you have a monthly subscription for $169 per month per phone that you can cancel anytime. We provide discounts for healthcare systems that need many devices, and unlike the Spot Vision Screener, service, support, and software upgrades are all-inclusive.
It’s no wonder that GoCheck Kids has been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Modern Healthcare, MobiHealthNews, and more.
More Info on GoCheck Kids
GoCheck Kids was founded in 2013 by David Huang, co-inventor of Optical Coherence Tomography, the most widely used diagnostic in ophthalmology. GoCheck Kids now serves over 3,500 pediatric teams in the U.S. and Europe in their quest to prevent vision impairment, the most prevalent disabling condition among children in the U.S. and many countries. GoCheck Kids made early photoscreening affordable, reducing the cost by over 60% by leveraging the iPhone’s manufacturing scale. It’s also FDA-registered and CE certified.
Mission:
Screen 20 million kids by 2020.
Clinical Efficacy2
Studies
4
Specificity
91%
Sensitivity
81%
PPV
92%
Inconclusives
3%
Detects:
- Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Anisometropia
- Gaze error
Note: Although GoCheck Kids “will not directly detect astigmatism, astigmatism is indirectly referred due to its association to other refractive anomalies.” 4
Workflow
EHR integration
Yes
Bulk Patient Entry
Yes
Enterprise User Management
Yes
Instant Results
Yes
View Results on PC
Yes
Price
CPT Codes
99177 and 99174
Cost
$149/month/phone
Service
Included
Warranty
Included
Software & Security
Soc 2 Certified
Yes
HIPAA Compliant
Yes
Software Upgrades
Yes
References:
1. https://www.welchallyn.com/en/products/categories/physical-exam/eye-exam/vision-screeners/spot-vision-screener.html
2. Arnold R, Armitage M. Performance of Four New Photoscreeners on Pediatric Patients With High Risk Amblyopia. Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 2014; 51: 46-52. doi: 10.3928/01913913-20131223-02
3. https://www.henryschein.com/us-en/medical/products/medical-equipment/diagnostic-equipment/Vision-screener.aspx
4. Silbert D, Arnold R. “Do we need to directly detect astigmatism when photoscreeing for ARFs?” Presented at the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Conference, 2015.
