Actions to be taken after vision screening
The vision screen form provides a guide for what actions should be taken, depending on the results of the eye health check and vision tests.
Possible actions include:
- Referral to a qualified eye health professional
- Referral to a medical doctor
- Referral for prescription glasses where there are services specifically providing prescription glasses
- Provision of one of the basic vision AP covered in TAP
Referring on
If you have identified that a referral to another service is needed, it is important to complete the referral process.
Many vision impairments can be treated, to reverse or stop problems that are causing the impairment. Where eye health services are available all clients should be referred for assessment and treated by an eye care professional before AP is prescribed.
There may also be other services that would benefit a person that you can refer them to.
Discussion
Discuss with a colleague and consider:
- Which eye health professionals are available in your area?
- Are there any eye health clinics?
- Are there visiting specialists or services?
- What is the referral process?
Basic vision AP
The vision screening is a first step in finding out whether one or more of the basic vision AP covered by TAP is appropriate for a person. In some cases a person may need to have a more thorough assessment and then return to you for basic vision AP.
To learn how to carry out these steps for the vision AP covered in TAP, take each product specific module.
If the vision screen suggests that AP may be of benefit, discuss this with the person and where appropriate, their family. Describe the vision AP you think may benefit them. Also find out if they have used vision AP before, or if they have their own ideas about what may help them.
If they are interested, remember that AP should be provided using the following four step process.
- Step one: assess the person’s needs
- Step two: prepare and fit the AP
- Step three: train the person how to use it
- Step four: follow up
Meet Rashid
Rashid is 47 years old and is a truck driver. He visited his local health centre to attend to a cut on his leg. While there, he told the health worker he was worried his vision is failing. He said he is finding it hard to read the newspaper. The health worker offered to do a vision screen and he agreed. This is what they found:
- Eye health check: Rashid reported he can see in the distance and has no problem seeing road signs. He was tested for diabetes when he first came to the clinic for the cut on his leg and was negative. He reported no other problems with his eyes and no headaches. His eyes looked normal.
- Simple distance vision test: Rashid could see the small Es at 3m.
- Simple near vision test: Rashid could see the Large Es. He could not see the direction of the small Es at 40cm. When he moved the chart closer to his eyes they became even more blurry.
- Simple vision field test: No loss of vision field is noted.
Activity
Complete a vision screen form for Rashid and summarise the actions you would discuss with him.
Only the Reading glasses row is checked
Meet Clara
Clara is 7 years old and goes to her local school. Clara’s parents are worried as she has become very quiet at school and is not playing with her friends as she used to. Her mother suspects that she is not seeing properly. Clara’s mother took her to the local health clinic and the nurse offered to do a vision screen. This is what she found:
- Eye health check: Clara said she cannot see the blackboard. Clara has no diabetes symptoms. She said that her eyes are sore at the end of each day at school. Otherwise her eyes looked normal.
- Simple distance vision test: The smallest E Clara could see correctly was the large E. This improved with the pinhole mask.
- Simple near vision test: Clara could see the small Es
- Simple vision field test: No loss of vision field is noted.
Activity
Complete a vision screen form for Clara and summarise the actions you would discuss with her parents.
The rows Eye care professional and Prescription glasses only are checked