Virtual vision outreach program: Give kids sight day (GKSD) 2020

2021 
Purpose : Give Kids Sight Day is an annual free outreach program in Philadelphia region, targeting low-income and underinsured communities. In 2020, a novel virtual screening program was conducted to face the challenges presented by the COVID19 pandemic. Continual innovation in vision screening methods is necessary to help reduce rates of blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents. We performed a retrospective chart review to describe the outcomes of this new program. Methods : Families to be screened were sent a packet with an eye chart and a 5-foot string, as well as instructions. On GKSD, screeners called the families and instructed the adults through screening the children over the phone. Results were collected and children who failed screening were sent to Wills Eye Hospital for an in-person appointment for rescreening and evaluation. After the Wills Eye Hospital Institutional Review Board approved this study, registration forms and clinical charts of all patients who attended GKSD 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics and ophthalmic findings were analyzed. Visual acuity on virtual screening was compared with in-person vision testing using Pearson correlation coefficient. Further subgroup analysis is being conducted at the time of abstract submission. Results : Four hundred and seventy five children registered for virtual vision screening. Consequently, 151 children (43% female;27% speaking languages other than English) with median age 11 years (age range 5-17 years) who failed screening received in-person evaluation. Out of these, 19% children underwent an eye exam for the first time. Refractive errors correctable with glasses were seen in 88%;30 children with other diagnoses were referred to pediatric ophthalmology for further evaluation and management. There was a moderate correlation between screening and in-person visual acuity without refractive correction (R= 0.66 OD, 0.58 OS);and a strong correlation between screening and inperson visual acuity with refractive correction (R= 0.76 OD, 0.91 OS). Conclusions : The GKSD virtual visual acuity testing demonstrated good correlation with in-person visual acuity testing, supporting the virtual screening approach as a useful tool for future applications in vision outreach programs.
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