Design and Validation of a New Smartphone-Based Reading Speed App (GDRS-Test) for the Greek Speaking Population

PURPOSE: To present a novel smartphone-based application (GDRS-test, Greek Digital Reading Speed - test) for the assessment of reading speed, to evaluate, whether this test could be easily and reliably used by patients with visual impairment and normal individuals serving as an adjunctive tool for their visual examination. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and five visually impaired and 32 normal eyes were examined. Depending on existing active ocular pathology, patients were divided into a non-macular and a macular group, We examined the reading performance for continuous text (MNREAD chart) and random unrelated words of the new smartphone-based reading speed app, monocularly. The patients’ best-corrected visual acuity ranged from 1.3 to 0.2 logMAR. Examinees were asked to read aloud (at a 40 cm distance) a series of 30 random two-syllable and then 30 three-syllable Greek words, without semantic connection. Reading speed was measured as correct words per minute for critical print size. The individuals were examined twice within 2 weeks for test-retest reliability. Correlations and comparisons concerning each group adjusted for age and visual acuity were performed. RESULTS: There was moderate correlation between MNREAD and 2SYL SPEED (Reading speed for 2-syllable) (Pearson's rho = 0.589, p < 0.001) and 3SYL SPEED (Reading speed for 3-syllable) (Pearson's rho = 0.617, p < 0.001) for healthy individuals. The mean 2SYL SPEED and 3SYL SPEED for Individuals of the maculopathies group or non-maculopathies group were significantly lower compared to normal individuals adjusted for age and visual acuity [B (95% CI): −93.077 (−104.165, −81.98), p < 0.001] and [B (95% CI): −92.254 (−104.196, −80.312), p < 0.001], respectively. The test-retest analysis showed a good agreement for patients and healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: The novel-reading speed application for the Greek-speaking population was found to accurately detect differences between patients with visual impairment and healthy individuals. It was designed and constructed with the intention to ease and improve the ophthalmic examination allowing individuals to self-evaluate reading speed by transmitting the result to their physician.