Screening FAQs
Most questions regarding the program can be answered by consulting the following documents:
A Guide to Conducting a LEHP Children’s Vision Screening Session
Children’s Vision Screening Program Screener Manual
https://lehp.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SCREENER-MANUAL-Update-2023-FINAL.pdf
Children’s Vision Screening Program Facilitator Manual
https://lehp.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FACILITATOR-MANUAL-2023-Final.pdf
Below are commonly asked questions with answers that may provide an alternate or expanded explanation.
- Does a club need to buy anything in order to conduct screenings?
LEHP has provided each Lions District with a screening kit, including all the main equipment required to conduct a screening. Additional items may have been added by the custodian of the kit, to assist with the screening activities. A club can arrange to borrow their District kit, or if unavailable one from another nearby area, to conduct a vision screening event.
- Does a club have to be a financial supporter of LEHP to conduct screenings?
It is requested that a club intending to conduct vision screenings becomes a LEHP Supporting Club, in order to help with the financial costs involved with the purchase of equipment and training of screeners. This involves contributing a minimum amount of $4.00 per member, per annum to LEHP, from the club activities account.
- Do volunteers have to be Lions members to become Vision Screeners?
Any community volunteer can become a LEHP Vision Screener, without being a Lions member of a Lions Club, as long as they complete the prescribed training and obtain a ‘Working with Children’ permit. This is actually an opportunity to recruit new volunteers from the community, for whom this may be their only Lions project activity. Facilitator accreditation is only available to Lions, Omega LEOs or Lions partners.
- Can Leos be involved in the LEHP CVSP?
Individuals who wish to be involved in vision screening need to have a current ‘Working with Children’ clearance, applicable to the State in which the project is taking place. In many cases these are only issued to person over the age of 18 years. For this reason younger Leos can be involved with promoting awareness of screening activities, but may not be involved with the actual screening activities.
- How much time is involved in being a LEHP Vision Screener?
Completing all the training activities may take two to three hours. Screenings can take place during school hours or on weekends, either at schools or community venues. Rosters for these events can be created to accommodate whatever time can be committed by volunteer screeners.
- Does training to be a screener have to start with completing the online course?
All screening volunteers must complete online training, attend a face-to-face practical ‘hands on’ workshop and observe at a screening session to complete their training as a LEHP Vision Screener. However these activities can be completed in any order.
- Can a prospective screener conduct activities at a screening session?
All volunteers that attend a screening session must have a Working With Children clearance. Only volunteers that have completed either or both, ‘workshop’ and ‘online’ training, are permitted to conduct screening station activities. Otherwise they are only permitted to observe the proceedings.
- How does a new screener get training to join an existing screening team?
Although all screening volunteers must complete the above training activities, if a volunteer is joining an existing screening team, a ‘Zoom” (electronic) workshop can be conducted by a LEHP Instructor instead of attending the practical ‘hands on’ workshop.
- Can a screener chose which activities they would like to conduct?
A Vision Screening Facilitator is responsible for allocating duties at a screening session and can take into account personal preferences by volunteer screeners.
- Can a ‘laser’ pointer be used with the Acuity Chart, instead of another style of pointing device?
This practice is not recommend because if the operator has a slight tremor, the pointer will jump about, confusing the subject as to which symbol is being indicated. It is also felt that, depending on room lighting conditions, the pointer may not provide a clear indication and it’s movement may distract from the exercise.
- Why is important to have good lighting for the screening activities?
In order to obtain correct results it is important that a screening subject is able to clearly see the charts being used. Subdued lighting is required to promote good dilation of eyes for the camera assessment.
- Why do results from the Depth Perception activity seem to be so bad?
The concept of 3D vision may be new to some subjects, which is why it is important for screeners to clearly explain what should be observed. Showing the answer for one of the ‘animals’ may help establish understanding. Bad instructions or misinterpretation could explain many perceived ‘referral’ results.
- Should a vision screening subject be shown the result of the camera ‘photo’?
Those being screened will be curious about the results of their participation. So it is a good idea to show a subject the camera ‘photo’ result. It also establishes what kind of ‘photo’ we are recording and that positive identification of the subject is probably not possible just from the ‘photo’.
- Does a screening team need to have a laptop computer and printer at the screening session?
It is useful to be able to print camera reports where referral results have been obtained. These provide useful information that parents can pass on to an eye care practitioner when attending a follow-up examination. Quite often printing facilities at the host location can be used. In a community environment this may not be possible, so perhaps a computer and printer (with colour capability) could be borrowed for use at this kind of session.
- Why is it important to return all paperwork and result slips to the host venue?
By returning all documents (forms, result slips, letters, class lists etc.) it can be demonstrated that Lions do not keep any personal information about screening subjects.
- How can a Screener prepare for a Vision Screening event?
Before attending a session, Screeners who wish to revise what is involved, can watch short instructional videos, on how to conduct activities at each of the 5 stations. These are located halfway down the training resources web page: https://lehp.org.au/cvsp-training-courses/
- How much does it cost to buy a screening kit?
The cost of screening equipment will vary depending on the discount that LEHP is able to procure from the supplier when ordering and if a grant can be obtained to assist with the purchase. An accurate estimate of current costs can be obtained by contacting LEHP. At present the kit cost has been kept under $10,000.
- Why do screening results and attendance records have to be sent to LEHP?
Results from screening events provide a justification for the program and an incentive to other screening groups to contribute to the national totals. This information is also used when applying for funding, grants and other support for the program. In many incidences volunteers may be attending a screening to complete their training requirements. This information is then added to the Screening Records database and those who have completed all required activities can then be issued with Screener certificates. Both Group Results and attendance Sign-On Sheets can be sent to the National Office (enquiries@lehp.org.au) and Training Manager (lehpscreening@gmail.com) to maintain this important screening program information.