Chicago-area pediatric practices implement Spot™ vision screener, improving screening age ranges and patient service in time for summer

LAKE MARY, Fla., July 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With families free from the time demands of school and extracurricular activities, summertime is the perfect time for pediatricians to schedule physical checkups for school-aged children and younger. As Chicago-area adopters of the Spot^™ Vision Screener can attest, implementing the right technology can quickly and smoothly augment quality of service.

"A lot of new technologies cause a disruption in the normal workflow, but Spot was super easy to implement," said Dr. Jason Tjaden of Children's Medical Group in the northwest Chicago suburbs. "Parents are quite pleased with how quick it is. They think it'll be a five-minute exam, and they're shocked to find that it's only seconds."

"So far, we've received positive feedback from ophthalmologists and from parents who were grateful that we caught issues early," said Dr. Peter Liber, head of Wheaton Pediatrics in DuPage County. "In fact, we hear from eye care professionals that our referrals were valid and the measurements were accurate."

Dr. Michael A. Kipp, who specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at Wheaton Eye Clinic and receives referrals from Liber, confirmed the device's efficacy. "I've not yet seen a false positive and the accuracy of the refractive measurements that Spot performed has been very impressive," he said.

While pediatric practices often use the device to screen patients six months through their teens, Liber reserves use of Spot for preverbal children. "We're filling a gap we had," Liber said. "For children ages six months, 15 months, 24 months old, there's no screening other than physical exams, so this supplements that. It's well worthwhile."

Tjaden had encountered the same issue. "Before Spot, we would occasionally attempt to do screenings with the Snellen chart, but we'd only screen kids ages 3 and 4 years at the youngest," he said. "I've been impressed with the vision problems we've caught at the younger ages, for example, anisometropia (unequal refractive power)."

Kipp explained the importance of early screening. "Between two and four percent of children have lazy eye problems which can lead to permanent vision loss[1]," he said. "Most of the time, you can detect it in the first three years of life, and the earlier you can detect the problem, the better. The problem is, not all children exhibit symptoms and that's where screening comes in."

"Comprehensive eye examinations are mandated in Illinois prior to kindergarten," said PediaVision vice president Jeff Mortensen. "Using Spot for early identification of amblyopic risk factors, as recommended by the AAP, could lead to less invasive treatment options. We applaud Drs. Liber and Tjaden for going this extra mile for patients."

Earlier this month, Welch Allyn acquired the assets of PediaVision Holdings—including the award-winning Spot Vision Screener technology. Click here for more information.

About Spot
The award-winning Spot, invented by PediaVision, is dedicated to solving undiagnosed vision problems affecting millions of people around the world each day. According to the World Health Organization, the annual cost of productivity lost to refractive vision impairment worldwide is $269 million[2] with undetected vision issues being the most prevalent disabling condition among children[3]. PediaVision is passionate about ensuring that everyone – regardless of their age, developmental capacity, or limits in mobility – deserves the same chance to see clearly. Supported by ophthalmologists, optometrists, scientists and leading technology innovators, Spot is a new generation of user-friendly technology that transcends age, developmental capacity and mobility. For more information, including how to order Spot, please visit www.SeeSpotNow.com.

About Welch Allyn, Inc.
Since 1915 Welch Allyn has brought a unique perspective to developing diagnostic solutions by combining pragmatic knowledge with a visionary spirit of innovation and ongoing improvement.  As a leading global manufacturer of physical examination instruments and accessories and EMR-connected vital signs and cardiac monitoring solutions, the company has a steadfast commitment to delivering superlative medical products, services and solutions that help healthcare professionals provide better care for their patients.  Welch Allyn is headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, N.Y. (USA) and employs more than 2,600 people in 26 different countries. Visit www.welchallyn.com for more information.  Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Sources
[1] Source: Basic and Clinical Science Course, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Section 6: Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 2013-2014
[2] Source: WHO, Global cost of correcting vision impairment from uncorrected refractive error  http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/10/12-104034/en/
[3] Source: CDC, Improving the Nation's Vision Health  http://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/pdf/improving_nations_vision_health.pdf

Contacts:
Jeff Mortensen
321-377-3095
[email protected]
or
Jamie Arnold
315-685-4599
[email protected]

SOURCE Welch Allyn PediaVision