Hearing/Vision referrals in Texas

[KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN]

Good morning all! I have a quick question about my hearing and vision referrals that I have sent out. Since I know things vary from state to state, please note that I am located in TEXAS :)

Here are my situations:

1) I have a few students who I have mailed out referrals for but have not received any documentation stating they were seen by an eye care specialist. However, I have personally seen them consistently wearing their glasses to school, therefore, I know they have either been seen by their eye doc or have miraculously found their glasses that were lost every time I screened them (which led to their referral because they failed the vision screen d/t not having their glasses ). My question for this is: can I close their referral on my end with just my own personal observations of them actually having their glasses or do I have to have that documentation from their eye doc?

2) How do you handle no responses from your referrals? I have mailed out initial referral letters but am about to send out my "second notice" letters. I'm curious to know if you send multiple reminders for your referrals or if you just send one and then leave it alone. My personal opinion of this is that I have done my part and have informed the parents, its now their job to follow through with it....

Any help will be appreciated! Thanks in advance for your input!!

[palli]

I will send two, via postal service, not in backpack. I document both dates that I send it, and at end of year, I document again that I have not yet received a response. I will also confirm with student what the address is.

[SaltineQueen]

Not in Texas, so can't for sure help you with #1.

I try three times & document. After that, I'm out...it's on the parents. Just recently, a parent must have obtained their O.D. (congratulations to them), because apparently, "He's fine." She's shown him all those letters & numbers & "He's fine." Meanwhile, kid tested 20/80 & 20/40 for me, failed the doctor's exam that they do here at school, and struggles with reading (school in general, :no:really).

[tamarae1]

I send screening failure letter, followup letter, then make a phone call to see if there's anything I can do to help. Typically it is "I have medicaid and I don't know how to schedule an appointment." or, "I don't have a ride." Then I ask which Medicaid group they are with, print out the handy dandy list of eye docs that serve them, and send it home attached to their behavior folder. Or I tell them that medicaid will give them a ride, and explain how to schedule that. Usually the kid shows up with glasses shortly after. If no medicaid and no insurance, I pursue other means such as lions club or vsp vouchers. I'm pretty proud, managed to get over a dozen pairs of glasses on needy kids this year in my elementary school

[AdobeRN]

1. I will do a quick vision rescreen on those that I notice with new glasses and code it as them receiving treatment. I only ask for documentation if the kid is going to have some kind of diagnostic testing just so we can have it file.

2. I call parents at the time I am sending the referral letter home. I will followup with a phone call 4-6 weeks later if I have not gotten a response of if I have not noticed the kid with new glasses. At that point it stops with me unless the teacher is noticing it affecting learning or unless the student needs diagnostic testing done. Diagnostic testing can not be started until the kids vision and hearing are corrected or have documentation that no treatment is needed.

[OldDude]

When a student fails a vision screening I try to find out if they are supposed to wear glasses. Otherwise, I call the parent when I send the referral home with the child; either speak to them or leave a message on voice mail. I mark the screening referral as "Referred - Not Examined." Under most circumstances I'll forget about it after that.

If I see the the same student wearing glasses, I'll change the referral status as "Treatment - Specialist Exam."

[iggywench, BSN, RN]

I am also in Texas, and we were notified on Friday by our district lead that we are now allowed to code a referral as completed if a student comes to school wearing new glasses, or a parent confirms that a child has been seen by the eye doctor and has received glasses. I am so glad for that, since I rarely get the referral forms back.

As far as referrals, we mail one home at the time the student fails the screening, then will check with the student a few weeks later to see if they have been seen by the doctor. I will mail a second referral home, and call and offer Lions Club, VSP certificates, or doctor's information. I only involve an administrator if the diagnostician is waiting on glasses to do educational testing.