Prevalence of Presenting Bilateral Visual Impairment (PBVI) associated with refractive error – Findings from the See4School, Pre-school Vision Screening Program in NHS Scotland

Abstract

Introduction: The See4School programme in Scotland is a pre-school vision screening initiative delivered by orthoptists on a national scale. The primary objective of this programme is to identify common visual conditions such as refractive error, amblyopia, strabismus and binocular vision defects. Methods: Retrospective anonymised data from vision Screening referrals in Scotland from 2013-2016 were collected. Children underwent an assessment using a crowded logMAR vision test and a small number of orthoptic tests. Results: During the 3-year period, out of 165,489 eligible children, 141,237 (85.34%) received the vision screening assessment. Among them, 27,010 (19.12%) failed at least one part of the screening and were subsequently referred into the diagnostic pathway, where they received a full sight test. The prevalence of bilateral visual impairment (≥0.3LogMAR), ranged between 1.47% (1.37-1.59) and 2.42% (2.29-2.57). Discussion: It is estimated that up to 2.42% (2.29-2.57) of children living Scotland have poorer than driving standard of vision (6/12) in their pre-school year. Reduced vision has the potential to impact a child’s their day-to-day life including their future educational, health and social outcomes.