Abstract
Objective. To report the results of the W.H.E.E.L.S. Prevent Blindness Mid-Atlantic vision screening program that targets preschoolers using the Plusoptix Photoscreener (Plusoptix Inc., Nuremburg, Germany). Methods. Trained program staff members conducted vision screenings at up to 113 preschool programs in the Richmond metropolitan area for four consecutive years; a cross-sectional analysis was performed. Results and Discussion. From September 2010 to March 2014, 15,075 preschoolers have been offered a free vision screening; 12,402 (82%) have been screened. A total of 3,018 (24%) have failed the screening and were recommended to follow up with an eye care specialist for a comprehensive examination; only 30% reported complying. Significant refractive errors were more frequently the cause for a failed screening. Conclusions. The W.H.E.E.L.S. program has identified a high number of preschoolers with significant amblyopic risk factors that were previously unknown to be present. Undesirably low follow-up reporting outcomes from children who fail a vision screening examination were consistent with other reports. Nevertheless, having a mobile vision screening program that uses photoscreening technology in targeting children prior to school entry is an efficient and cost-effective way to detect vision disorders in a timely manner.
Highlights
Maintaining healthy vision plays a critical role in a child’s overall success at school
The W.H.E.E.L.S. program was initiated in September of 2010 and has provided vision screenings in the Greater Richmond, Virginia area, each of the four years of the program
Reported are the initial vision screening results for 12,402 preschoolers screened by the W.H.E.E.L.S. program using the Plusoptix Photoscreening technology that has been collected since the program was initiated in 2010
Summary
Maintaining healthy vision plays a critical role in a child’s overall success at school. The program was created and is sustained by the Medarva Healthcare Foundation and Prevent Blindness Mid-Atlantic, is offered at no cost to the children or schools involved, and targets 4-yearold preschool programs. This target age allows for an effective treatment strategy to be implemented if necessary prior to school entry [3, 4]. Amblyopia, defined as a decreased vision caused by poorly developed visual areas of the brain from inadequate early visual experience, occurs in 1% to 4% of children; risk factors for this eye disorder can be detected in a matter of seconds with a high accuracy during a vision screening examination using photoscreening technology [5,6,7].
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