Publications by authors named "Shelley Duffy"
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzes data from the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program (PSNHRP) in Queensland, Australia, to understand the prevalence of visual impairments in children aged 4 to 7 over a four-year period.
- Out of 164,890 screened children, 12,148 (7.4%) failed the screening and 6,011 of those who attended further review were diagnosed with a visual abnormality, showcasing significant rates of conditions like anisometropia and refractive errors.
- The findings suggest that certain visual abnormalities were more common in females except for anisometropic amblyopia, highlighting the need for better understanding of risk factors to enhance future vision screening efforts.
Purpose: To report the outcomes and positive predictive value (PPV) of vision screening in schoolchildren 4-7 years of age through the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program (PSNHRP) in Queensland, Australia.
Methods: A retrospective review of schoolchildren who underwent vision screening between January 2017 and December 2020 was conducted. Vision screening was performed through a dual-examination method, using the Parr 4m letter-matching vision test with crowding bars and the Spot photoscreener.
Clinical Relevance: Children in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often do not access follow-up eye care services when referred from vision screenings; whether this is due to lack of availability is not known. This paper highlights the need for vision and eye care for vulnerable children with practicing clinical optometrists well placed to provide vision care.
Background: Vision impairments develop from a young age and may inhibit learning experiences and impact life outcomes.