Why Clinicians Need to Start Assessing Patients’ Vision

Clinical vision assessment is an often overlooked aspect of occupational therapy. According to the CDC, visual impairments double the elderly’s risk of falling, which is the leading cause of injury for this population.

As an occupational therapist, you will encounter countless patients who complain of blurred vision, double vision, difficulties seeing near/far, difficulties locating objects, and more. You’ll also likely have patients who frequently run into walls/objects, display problems with balance or show signs of dizziness, have a tendency to neglect objects within their environment or have difficulties with ADLs.

It’s all rooted in the eyes. The eyes can suffer from glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, amblyopia, and strabismus among other diseases and disorders.

In this position paper, you will learn how and why clinicians should assess and treat patient vision problems. By following the practices below, you can prevent falls and improve independence.

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