Page 108 - DISINVESTMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF VISION SCREENING TESTS BASED ON THEIR EFFECTIVENESS
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CHAPTER 6
Table 1. Examinations at CHC centres according to the National guideline.
Age
1-2 m 3-4 m 6-9 m 14-24 m 36 m
45 m 60 m
Inspection Pupillary Fundus Hirschberg Cover Quality Motility reflex red reflex test test of pursuit
X X X
X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X
X
Age in months.
APK = Amsterdam Picture Chart, VA = visual acuity
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Design
VA VA
APK Landolt-C
X
X
X
A birth-cohort study was conducted with sequential control and intervention groups. The large sample size aimed for precluded individual randomization from a practical point of view. Based on their date of birth, participants were allocated for orthoptic vision screening tests as part of general health screening, the current standard in the Netherlands (control group, born between 1st of July and the 31st of December 2011) or general health screening without orthoptic vision screening (intervention group, born between 1st of January and the 30th of June 2012) at age 6-24 months. Parents in the intervention group were informed through an information leaflet about the change in screening protocol and could opt out of the study and request screening according to the national protocol. The nature of the intervention precluded participant blinding. All data were prospectively acquired in the Netherlands.
The Medical Ethical Review Committee of the Erasmus Medical Centre declared that the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act did not apply to this research proposal as it concerned population-based prevention and that the “Besluit Publieke Gezondheid” (Public Health Decision, Ministry of Health 2008) applied (reference number MEC-2012-003). Permission was granted from the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate to deviate from the national screening guidelines. The study protocol and consent procedure adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.
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