title: Role of optometry school in single day large scale school vision testing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  School vision testing aims at identification and management of refractive errors. Large-scale school vision testing using conventional methods is time-consuming and demands a lot of chair time from the eye care professionals. A new strategy involving a school of optometry in single day large scale school vision testing is discussed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to describe a new approach of performing vision testing of school children on a large scale in a single day.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single day vision testing strategy was implemented wherein 123 members (20 teams comprising optometry students and headed by optometrists) conducted vision testing for children in 51 schools. School vision testing included basic vision screening, refraction, frame measurements, frame choice and referrals for other ocular problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 12448 children were screened, among whom 420 (3.37%) were identified to have refractive errors. 28 (1.26%) children belonged to the primary, 163 to middle (9.80%), 129 (4.67%) to secondary and 100 (1.73%) to the higher secondary levels of education respectively. 265 (2.12%) children were referred for further evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single day large scale school vision testing can be adopted by schools of optometry to reach a higher number of children within a short span.
authors.affiliation: Elite School of Optometry, Sastra University 8, GST Road, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Anuradha
authors.affiliation: Elite School of Optometry, GST Road, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Krishnakumar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramani
keywords: Large scale; school children; single day; vision testing