Date of Award
Spring 5-17-2025
Document Type
Honors Project
University Scholars Director
Dr. Joshua Tom
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. John Douglass
Keywords
vision care, pediatric healthcare, social programs
Abstract
Proper vision care contributes to a child’s ability to perform academically as well as their overall health and wellbeing. Pediatric vision care begins with vision screening, which occurs in public schools in Washington state. These vision screenings allow for possible vision issues to be identified in children. They are not, however, a replacement for eye examinations that help determine what is causing the problem and provide treatment. A substantial proportion of children that are recommended to receive the exams will not, partially because Washington does not require parents to take their children to eye care professionals. These children are more likely to come from households that do not speak English as a primary language and/or are of a lower socioeconomic status. A school-based vision program in the Greater Seattle area would allow disparities in vision care to be addressed in public schools in the region. Creation of the program will require assessment of which schools would most benefit from the program, surveys of key stakeholders for insight on the community, recruitment of eye care professionals to provide eye examinations, and determination of how the costs of the program will be covered. Implementation of the program will require obtaining parental consent for children to participate, conduction of vision screenings and eye examinations, prescription, and provision of corrective lenses, and encouraging use of the lenses. To ensure long-term viability of the program, recurrent reassessment and revision of the program must occur in accordance with changes in best practices for pediatric vision care as well as demographic changes within the communities served and feedback provided by those that participate.
Recommended Citation
Gill, Suzanna P., "Guidelines for the Creation and Implementation of a School-Based Vision Program for the Greater Seattle Area" (2025). Honors Projects. 231.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/honorsprojects/231
Copyright Status
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Additional Rights Information
Copyright held by author.
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Optometry Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Quality Improvement Commons
