Advocacy

As advocates for eliminating preventable childhood blindness, it is imperative for VisionQuest 20/20 to implement a vision screening program in the United States. With no other existing model offering a quality, consistent and accurate approach, VisionQuest 20/20 has carefully created a public health model built on 8 simple, yet critical steps:

Step 1: Method - Technique or product used to perform screening

A method to evaluate children's vision could be as simple as an eye chart or as detailed as a full eye examination. The method used must evaluate the performance of how the entire vision system works together including the eye, optic nerve, and vision center of the brain.

Step 2: Validation - Scientific validation of method from real-world, clinical studies

Regardless of the methodology chosen for screening vision disorders, it must be accurate and reliable in both the controlled setting of a laboratory as well as real-world situations such as a classroom environment.

Step 3: Distribution - Bringing the method to all our nation's children

Once a validated method for screening children's vision has been chosen, there must be an efficient way to distribute this method and make it widely available to all our nation's schoolchildren.

Step 4: Administration - Performing the method on all our nation's children

The screening must be administrated in a consistent and accurate manner regardless of when or where it is performed.

Step 5: Results - Analyze raw data and compare to standardized criteria

After the screening has been performed, the results need to be analyzed and compared to standardized pass and fail criteria to determine if further evaluation is required.

Step 6: Data Storage - Store and retrieve data for record keeping, future comparisons and further analysis

The screening outcomes and result interpretation are stored for two different reasons. First, immediate record keeping is necessary to ensure all children are screened and that there is no redundant vision screenings performed. Secondly, data storage allows for comparisons with other schools and epidemiological analysis.

Step 7: Notification - Inform Parents, teachers and doctors of results and initiate referral if necessary

Once results have been obtained and compared to the pre-determined pass / fail criteria, notification of parents, schoolteachers, and referral physicians is necessary to make certain appropriate care is rendered to those children in need.

Step 8: EPI Analysis - Measures success of vision screening program and provides valuable scientific data for public health policy decisions

Epidemiological data analysis allows the success of the vision screening program to be measured and provides valuable scientific data for public health policy decisions. Such data is crucial to provide justification for continued public support and funding.