SPOT Screener

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Speaking of "EYES," I want to share some information I've gathered from using the SPOT screener the past few years. Our district has 2 of these devices. State guidelines allow us to screen kids through 5 years of age and any others who have difficulty with the wall chart. I've been doing some experimentation with my PK kids who "fail" the vision screening with the SPOT and I've come to realize 100% of the 4 year olds who have failed the SPOT screening due to astigmatism only will "pass" the screening with the wall chart.

In our area it is extremely difficult to find an eye doctor who will see a 4 year old. So, knowing that these 4 year olds will be screened again next year and knowing how difficult it is to get them in to an eye doctor, I do not "refer" the kids who have failed the SPOT screener due to astigmatism only and who subsequently pass the screening using a wall chart.

I will not rescreen 4 year olds with a wall chart if the SPOT indicates myopia, hyperopia, or gaze issues, but will refer those guys immediately.

Just some food for thought...

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Timely and useful as ever, OD.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

Sorry to sound ignorant, but what's SPOT?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Sorry to sound ignorant, but what's SPOT?

It's an automatic screening device made by Welch Allyn that looks somewhat like a big camera. It displays a light in its lens and all the kids have to do is look at the light from about 3 feet away. No interaction is required. Very pricey...about 7K.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
It's an automatic screening device made by Welch Allyn that looks somewhat like a big camera. It displays a light in its lens and all the kids have to do is look at the light from about 3 feet away. No interaction is required. Very pricey...about 7K.

I got someone to do it for us in February, but I'm planning to do my own screenings before hand, and let them screen them again, to see who failed for real.

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Old Dude-I've got 550 4 year olds to screen.....Photoscreeners are mixed bag....We got the PlusOptix a few years ago and have been trying to figure out how to best utilize it. Data entry to allow us to save all screenings (to print out reports) is cumbersome and time consuming, and honestly sometimes takes more time than doing screening with visual acuity chart. PlusOptix has multiple referral setting, and depending on which setting is selected, the referral rate was as high as 55%. And there were a good number of kids that I couldn't get a reading on. I've had poor results in using it with my young (3 yr old) PPCD kids-very hard to get them to look at camera for long enough to get a reading.

What I have done the past two years is used it as the rescreening for the students who failed the visual acuity chart. It helped clarify the initial screening and weed out those who failed the chart because they just didn't "get" it. And I TOTALLY agree that the majority of the "Refers" are due to astigmatism only. It is good for finding the kids with hyperopia that you typically wouldn't find any other way. We are trialing the SPOT screener the next two weeks.....

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Old Dude-I've got 550 4 year olds to screen.....Photoscreeners are mixed bag....We got the PlusOptix a few years ago and have been trying to figure out how to best utilize it. Data entry to allow us to save all screenings (to print out reports) is cumbersome and time consuming, and honestly sometimes takes more time than doing screening with visual acuity chart. PlusOptix has multiple referral setting, and depending on which setting is selected, the referral rate was as high as 55%. And there were a good number of kids that I couldn't get a reading on. I've had poor results in using it with my young (3 yr old) PPCD kids-very hard to get them to look at camera for long enough to get a reading.

What I have done the past two years is used it as the rescreening for the students who failed the visual acuity chart. It helped clarify the initial screening and weed out those who failed the chart because they just didn't "get" it. And I TOTALLY agree that the majority of the "Refers" are due to astigmatism only. It is good for finding the kids with hyperopia that you typically wouldn't find any other way. We are trialing the SPOT screener the next two weeks.....

I hear ya...The SPOT displays the reason/reasons for "Complete Exam Recommended" versus "All Measurements in Range" after each screen. If I see astigmatism only, I'll rescreen those with the wall chart. If it's anything other than astigmatism with the SPOT, I'll print and refer with that data. Since the health data is kept electronically now I don't print the "passes." I just enter that individual data into the computer with the pertinent screening device info and leave it at that. Having the kids sit in a darkened area of the class or a darkened closet for the screening will speed things up considerably.

Sometimes I get a result in 3 seconds.

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I haven't had SPOT experience, but the concept sound great! Especially for fussy kids that won't sit still

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I recently attended a vision testing training and was told the eye screeners (plus optix for example) do not measure acuity and cannot replace the wall charts. Question... do you have to screen 4 year olds?? In Calif. we do Kinder/2nd/5th/8th. I was recently asked to screen pre-schoolers in our district but I am so swamped already and most likely won't be able to find the time for them and figure since i'll do them next year in kindergarten what's the harm?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I recently attended a vision testing training and was told the eye screeners (plus optix for example) do not measure acuity and cannot replace the wall charts. Question... do you have to screen 4 year olds?? In Calif. we do Kinder/2nd/5th/8th. I was recently asked to screen pre-schoolers in our district but I am so swamped already and most likely won't be able to find the time for them and figure since i'll do them next year in kindergarten what's the harm?

We have to screen PK which is 4 year olds. The SPOT screener is approved in Texas for screening kids through 5 years. The SPOT measures myopia and hyperopia...although near vision screening is not required in Texas.

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I have to screen 614 preschoolers (and the number of students grows each month). I would LOVE to have a SPOT screener!!

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Specializes in School Nurse.
I have to screen 614 preschoolers (and the number of students grows each month). I would LOVE to have a SPOT screener!!

You could try contacting your local Lion's Club. Many of them have the SPOT screeners and could come to your campus to assist you.

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