Bravo Mark!
This issue is my own personal “whack-a-mole” game. Whack it down for one group of employees, and it just pops up in another group of employees.
We’ve been over this issue extensively with different groups.
·
The commonly available screening tests don’t necessarily detect relevant spectra for the task
·
Individuals adapt well and may still function well and safely despite some impairment in some spectrum or other
·
Regardless of the results of a medical screening test, the person needs to demonstrate competency
o
If they fail the vision screen, they might still be able to do the task without any accommodation
o
If they pass the vision screen, they still may not be able to do the task
In healthcare, most color vision perception involves either presence/absence detection on a POCT, a light on/off on machinery that is often also labelled, or matching a hue to a standard, so even if you see pink
as olive you just have to match the test’s olive to the control’s olive. It’s different in aviation of course.
We’ve settled on TRUE competency tests that have them demonstrate correct performance across the range of possible results.
Beware of “pseudo-competency tests” that only show you one result.
Melanie Swift, MD
Director, Vanderbilt Occupational Health Clinic
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Upfal, Mark
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 12:05 PM
To: 'MCOH/EH'
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers
I agree that it would be quite unusual for the color blindness test to lead to rejection of employment (the test is not adequately correlated with actual performance).
For all of the time and effort that goes into performing thousands of color blindness tests, what specifically have we been able to offer to the individual or the employer? What specific accommodations have we offered? I've never encountered a situation
in which the individual was unable to "self-accommodate" and could not do their job. Most new hires in technical jobs that require visual inspection have either undergone training in their field or have previously done the same job elsewhere, and are not
likely to enter the field if they cannot do the job.
Wouldn't it be more useful, efficient and valid for the supervisor to do a simple job performance test for those few jobs with unusual visual performance or color
discrimination demands, rather than performing color discrimination tests on a broad range of new hires?
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Fair, Susan
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 12:10 PM
To: 'MCOH/EH'
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers
CVD on screening would be a trigger to have an evaluation of the performance of essential tasks requiring color vision ability, especially in lab or path. Occ Med would have input on what accommodations might
be needed. It is likely that anyone with a deficiency has adapted to different shades of gray being assigned a color name in their experience. The other challenges are for HCW who needs to identify pallor, cyanosis, jaundice, skin rashes, erythema, blood
contamination of fluids, color coded charts or color coded computer screen alerts, etc. I have never seen someone not hired or terminated for CVD in my MCOH tenure of 26 years.
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Upfal, Mark
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 9:36 AM
To: 'MCOH/EH'
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers
So how do you use the information? Does it really predict job performance? For which jobs? What if they fail the test but can still perform the job?
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces+mupfal=dmc.org@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of April Tainter
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 9:28 AM
To: 'MCOH/EH'
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers
14 plate for all employees.
April Tainter RN
Employee Health Nurse
ThedaCare-Shawano
100 County Road B
Shawano WI 54166
P 715-524-1493
F 715-524-9983
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Viereck, Maryann
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 8:20 AM
To: 'MCOH/EH'
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers
14 plate here.
Maryann Viereck RN,BS,CEN,COHN-S
Employee Health Coordinator
Cape Regional Medical Center
2 Stone Harbor Blvd
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
phone 609-463-2512
fax 609-463-2910
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net]
On Behalf Of Fair, Susan
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 8:57 AM
To: 'mcoh-eh@mylist.net'
Cc: Santerre, Andrea
Subject: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers
We test nursing, laboratory, pathology, and medical staff for color vision with Ishihara 14 plate in our clinics. We find that some of the hospitals with whom we are now affiliated are using Ishihara 38 plate
instead of 14 plate. What method do you all use? Is there any evidence that more plates are a better screening tool in this setting? Thanks for your input.
Susan Fair, MPAS, PA-C
Yale New Haven Hospital
Occupational Health Plus
New Haven, CT
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