Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102468

Jeff Todd, MS, JD, Prevent Blindness America, 211 West Wacker Drive, #1700, Chicago, IL 60606, 312-363-6026, jtodd@preventblindness.org

Vision disorders are the leading cause of impaired conditions in childhood. If not detected and treated early, vision problems in children can lead to a variety of difficulties. Often, children do not realize they are not seeing as they should and may not complain about signs of a problem, even when they are aware that it is hard for them to see. Despite this fact, only 21% of children are screened prior to entering school. Further, there is not one set of universally accepted standardized guidelines for vision screening. Building off of a collaborative initiative with the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Prevent Blindness America has developed the AAP-endorsed Preschool Vision Screening Manual for Healthcare Professionals, to be used to for training to implement preschool vision screening in the primary care office setting. Many primary care offices have found the team approach to implementation successful, using nonphysician office staff to perform visual acuity and stereopsis testing and having health professionals interpret the results. This presentation will discuss the role of this manual and training in improving pediatric vision health care.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand the importance of vision screening and regular professional eye care as a key component of the pediatric care provided by the primary care physician.
• Participants will recognize the challenges involved in ensuring that full and complete vision screening becomes and remains a key component of pediatric healthcare.
• Participants will recognize the need for standardization in screening techniques across the field; including an adequate training mechanism for such an initiative.
• Participants will acknowledge the key role that non-physician office staff can play in supporting the vision screening process.

Keywords: Pediatrics, Screening

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation