Essilor Announces Mobile App to Provide Credible Eye Health Information, Encourage Eye Exams

09/19/2014

DALLAS – Sept. 19, 2014 – In response to growing demand for timely, reliable eyecare information online, Essilor of America announces the development of a new mobile application for consumers. Once launched, the AskAboutEyes app will help consumers find relevant information on individual issues or concerns about their eyes prior to visiting their eyecare practitioner (ECP).

While only 3.5 percent of eyewear is purchased online today, nearly 40 percent of consumers reportedly search the web for information prior to visiting an eye care practitioner. Because of the specialized nature of eye care, there remain very few trusted and credible options for consumers seeking information on vision and vision correction, even among traditional medical resource websites.

“We at Essilor know that a trained eyecare practitioner is the only way to get accurate recommendations for vision correction options, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of any eye condition or disease, but we also recognize that many consumers like to feel informed and prepared before meeting with an eyecare professional,” said Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, Dipl., senior vice president customer development, Essilor of America. “The AskAboutEyes app will allow consumers to easily learn more about their options in a convenient way, while helping them find a practitioner who can deliver the expertise they need when making these important healthcare decisions.”
AskAboutEyes will be available as a Smartphone app, and the identities of the consumer and the eyecare professional (ECP) will not be identified. This will allow consumers to ask individual questions and even send photographs to an ECP for additional details and guidance. To develop the most comprehensive content, Essilor partnered with AllAboutVision.com, an independent resource providing consumers with hundreds of pages of trustworthy, up-to-date information on vision correction and eye health.  Launched in 2000, the site is certified by the Health on the Net Foundation and serves more than 600,000 weekly unique visitors, measured by Google Analytics.

AskAboutEyes will be led by Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO, an esteemed practitioner and key opinion leader in medical optometry. Dr. Karpecki will manage a network of ECPs across the country to ensure users are receiving precise and timely answers and advice. The app is not intended to be a diagnostic tool or to usurp the independent ECP.  It is to serve as a trustworthy informational resource that will drive more consumers to their eyecare practitioners for comprehensive eye exams and treatment, as well as products and other valuable services.

Expected to launch later this year, the AskAboutEyes app will be highlighted on the Essilor Newsroom at news.essilorusa.com and available free for download on the App Store and Google Play. To find more information on AskAboutEyes, email us at AskAboutEyes@essilorusa.com.

About Essilor
Essilor is the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States and is the market leader in progressive, high-index and anti-reflective coated lenses. A pioneer in the development and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor employs more than 10,000 people throughout North America. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the VARILUX®, CRIZAL®, TRANSITIONS®, XPERIO®, DEFINITY®, THIN&LITE® and other Essilor brand names. Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc is the largest, and most trusted, optical lab network in the U.S. and offers a wide choice of services and lens brands, including Essilor premium lenses, to eyecare professionals across the nation. Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, a publicly held company traded on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Reuters: ESSI.PA).

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VARILUX, CRIZAL, XPERIO, XPERIO UV, E-SPF, DEFINITY and TRANSITIONS are registered trademarks of Essilor International.  THIN & LITE is a registered trademark of Essilor of America, Inc