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Published on: March 24, 2020
Exploring pre-school vision screening in primary care offices in Alabama
Wendy L Marsh-Tootle1, Marcela G Frazier, Connie L Kohler
1School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA. wmarsht@uab.edu
Summary
Pediatric practices share pre-school vision screening (PVS) duties, but often use outdated methods. Improving PVS requires training on evidence-based tests for both physicians and nurses/CMAs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric primary care
- Ophthalmology
- Public health
Background:
- Early detection of vision impairments in preschoolers is crucial for development.
- Current pre-school vision screening (PVS) practices in pediatric primary care settings require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the current practices, barriers, and facilitators of universal pre-school vision screening (PVS) in pediatric primary care offices.
Main Methods:
- Conducted on-site focus group sessions (FGS) at nine pediatric practices.
- Utilized a semi-structured topic guide for standardized discussions.
- Analyzed audiotaped discussions and transcriptions to identify key themes.
Main Results:
- Nurses/CMAs primarily tested visual acuity, often with non-recommended methods; physicians performed external observation and basic tests.
- Facilitators included integrating PVS into well-child visits and using electronic medical records with prompts.
- Barriers included challenges in testing young children, office distractions, time constraints, and inadequate reimbursement.
Conclusions:
- Pre-school vision screening responsibility is shared, necessitating interventions targeting both physicians and nurses/CMAs.
- Limited awareness of evidence-based PVS tests highlights the need for translational efforts to update primary care practices.
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