Vision Center of Excellence sponsoring landmark eye health study

ByJanetA.Aker

MHS Communications

Visionhealthiscriticaltoforcereadiness, somuchsothateyeproblemscancutamilitarycareershort Arecentlylaunchedstudy could lead to better tracking of eye health over a service member’s career to prevent futureeyeconditions

The Defense Health Agency’s Vision CenterofExcellenceopensVCE.Health.mil is working with the RAND Army Research Division on a one-year study to determine whether a “comprehensive baseline militaryeyeexaminationrequirementshouldbe establishedacrosstheservicestofillgapsin information and improve warfighter vision health,”VCEsaid.

The study began in July 2022 and is expectedtobecompletednextautumnwith apeer-reviewedreportduethen

“Today’s modern warfighter has to be so technical in their visual skills, that we think there should be more done to follow eye health and ocular conditions,” said Dr Michael Pattison, VCE’s program manager ofreadinessandoperationsoptometry.

Currently, service members get an eye examattheirenlistmentphysical However, according to Pattison, the RAND study is looking to determine the value of requiring service members to also receive a comprehensive eye exam, including a full ocular healthassessmentandamanifestrefraction to see if visual correction is necessary. The latterprocedure,whichmeasuresthedegree towhichlightbendsasitpassesthroughthe cornea and lens on to the back of the eye, is extremelyimportantindeterminingifsomeonehasaseriouseyedisease

“My biggest issue is if I’ve got someone who’s got a rifle in their hands do I want that person to see ‘good enough’? Or, do I wantthemtoseetothebestoftheirability?” Pattisonsaid.

Pattison also noted that expanding currentguidelinesforroutineeyecarecould be beneficial to determine if there has been a change from the initial eye exam due to combat-related or non-battle injuries and diseases includingsports-relatedandother off-dutyocularinjuries

Additionally,whenservicemembersseparate from the military or retire, there is no routine method to determine whether an eye disorder has a service-related connection,headded.

This can prove to be a challenge for the Department of Veterans Affairs when it comes to caring for the vision of veterans,

Pattisonpointedout.

Having both a beginning point and an endpoint for eye health and vision could helpresolvethisgapininformation,hesaid.

Vision Correction Surgery

The long-term results of vision correction surgery are another variable where comprehensive data would be useful, Pattisonsuggested.

LasereyecorrectionsurgeryopensHealth. mil article is one way a service member can optimizetheirvision “Whatit’snotdoingis catching the other people who are ‘getting by,’”Pattisonsaid TheRANDsurveymaydetermineifthere should be periodic monitoring of those vision-corrected service members as well, hesuggested

Current Standards

Thoseseekingtoserveinthemilitaryhave their vision tested during their enlistment physicalandreceiveeyeglassesiftheyneed them.Theymustbeabletosee20⁄40orbetter usingbotheyestogetheratadistance

Those who are deployed are fitted with better-than-ballistics-grademilitarycombat eye protection and gas mask inserts that match their prescriptions

All deployed service members use Military Combat Eye Protection-approved lenses that are found ontheAuthorizedProtectiveEyewearList, known as APEL MCEP standards are set bytheTri-ServiceVisionandConservation ProgramopensPHC.AMEDD.ARMY.mil.

During required periodic health assessments, medical personnel are required to ask if the service member has had a change invisionthat:

„ impactsdailyperformance

„ resulted in being on any medical profile (noting functional limitations) or limited duty

Additionally,servicemembersareaskedif they wear corrective lenses, and, if so, how many pairs of glasses they have, whether theyhaveprescriptiongasmaskinserts,and are they current with their service-specific visionandeyewearstandards.

“TheRANDstudywillhelpusconnectall thedataformilitaryvisionhealthandreadinessstatustobuildamethodologythatwill better identify whether the strategies we have for the efficacy of eye care are working,”Pattisonsaid