 | Healthy vision is an important part of a child's success in school. It is estimated that approximately 20% of preschool children between 3 and 5 years of age have an eye or vision condition that, if left uncorrected, can result in reduced vision. Unfortunately, many parents are unaware that their child has a vision problem. Currently, 15 states require that preschool-aged children have their vision screened before they start school. |
Many more state and local agencies are working to mandate such programs or adopt voluntary guidelines for vision screening. Other organizations support requiring a comprehensive eye examination before a child before a child enters school. Rational consideration of any of these options requires a thorough understanding of many aspects of vision screening. The choices for the screening tests to be used, the criteria for referral for an eye examination, the level of training of the person administering the screening test, and the screening setting determine the accuracy and the efficiency of a screening program.
The Vision In Preschoolers (VIP) Study has been designed in 3 phases to address many of the issues concerning evaluation of screening programs. Each phase of the study focuses on a key issue in preschool vision screening.
In Phase I of the VIP Study, 11 commonly-used vision screening tests were evaluated in head-to-head comparisons to determine their effectiveness in identifying preschool children who have a condition that warrants referral to an eye care professional (optometrist or ophthalmologist) for diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests were administered by licensed eye care professionals experienced in working with children. Each child was also given a comprehensive eye examination by an eye care professional who was masked to the results of the child's vision screening tests. Study researchers then compared results from the screening tests with the results from the comprehensive eye examinations to evaluate the accuracy of each of the 11 commonly-used screening tests. Some of the screening tests were much more accurate than others.
Phase II of the VIP Study was designed to assess the effectiveness of screening tests administered by nurse screeners compared to the effectiveness when screening tests were administered by lay screeners. Four vision screening tests were administered twice, once by each type of screener. As in Phase I, each child was given a comprehensive eye examination and the results from the eye examination were compared to the results of the screening.
Planning for Phase III of the study is currently underway.
For more information about the VIP Study, you can visit the following websites:
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Contact information:
Paulette Schmidt, OD, MS, VIP Study Chairperson
(614) 292-3189 or send an email
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