ThedaCare Pediatricians Use Spot Vision to Identify Vision Issues in Children
Testing the vision of young children can be a challenge, but a new screening device at ThedaCare Physicians-Pediatric clinics in Appleton and Neenah is making the process easier.
Spot Vision can test a patient’s eyes in just a few seconds and doesn’t require the child’s cooperation like standard visual acuity charts do, said Luke Tremble, MD, a pediatrician at ThedaCare Physicians-Pediatrics in Appleton.
“Catching vision problems early is so important since vision plays a large role in children’s development,” Dr. Tremble said. “Since children aren’t usually able to tell us there’s a problem, a device like Spot Vision will make a difference. The earlier we can catch potential problems, the better since treatment options can then be explored.”
Spot Vision works by having a patient sit down and look at the front of the device, focusing their vision on blinking red, amber and blue lights. A chirping bird auditory cue can also be used to attract patients’ attention. Spot Vision then quickly takes a series of photos of the patient’s eyes using infrared light. The device then analyzes the images and can determine if the patient’s vision is in range, or if it isn’t, what a possible cause might be. Some eye problems that can be detected include nearsightedness, farsightedness, pupil size deviations, eye misalignment, unequal refractive power and eye structure problems. If the test shows any abnormality, a referral can be made to an ophthalmologist for further tests and, if necessary, treatment.
Spot Vision will be used at well child visits starting at 6 months of age and will be used until the child can reliably perform standard vision screening tools.
“Spot Vision is an excellent way to screen young children and children with developmental delays,” he said. “The device can detect a series of risk factors that can lead to problems with vision. The sooner these problems can be detected, the quicker patient can be treated.”
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of seven hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, Shawano Medical Center, Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca, Berlin Memorial Hospital, and Wild Rose Community Memorial Hospital. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare At Home. ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,175 employees. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
