[MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers

Robinson, Geoffrey GRobinso at bristolhospital.org
Thu May 8 09:46:01 PDT 2014


I agree with Dr. Sparhawk, who makes a very good point.  (Hi Dana.)  We also use the 14 plate Ishihara as the initial screening tool, for certain positions at our hospital including lab and nursing, as well as DOT.  However, if the employee or driver fails Ishihara we use a secondary testing method.  You can use felt swatches, colored paper, or as we do electrical wires.  I have also seen online color plates with hundreds of colors of varying shades.  I also don't recall ever seeing anyone fail the secondary testing method.

Geoff Robinson PAC
MedWorks - Bristol Hospital
Bristol CT 06010
(Phone) 860-589-0114
(Fax) 860-589-1936
grobinso at bristolhospital.org<mailto:grobinso at bristolhospital.org>

Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners
http://compllc.org/



From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net] On Behalf Of Sparhawk, Dana MD
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 11:11 AM
To: MCOH/EH
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers

I am in agreement with Dr Upfal.  I myself am red green color blind, cannot read most of the Ishihara plates, but can distinguish between shades and colors very well.  Although we do the 14 plate Ishihara here too, we do not use it to disqualify, but rather to educate the employees with color deficiencies to work with their departments regarding tasks requiring color differentiation.

Personally, I think those of us who fall into this category can differentiate shades on dipsticks, blood tubes, etc very well.  Likewise, in 30 years of doing DOT exams, I don't recall ever finding a driver who could not differentiate the colors.

DS


Dana Sparhawk, MD, MPH
Director, Lifespan Employee and Occupational Health Services
Clinical Assistant Professor, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
Grads Dorm, Rhode Island Hospital
593 Eddy Street
Providence, RI  02903
(401) 444-7412

This transmission is intended only for the adressee(s) listed above and may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged.  If you are not the addresse, any use, disclosure, copying, or communication of the contents of this message is prohibited. Please contact me if this message was transmitted in error.  Thank you.



From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces at 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 at 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 at 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 at mylist.net] On Behalf Of Fair, Susan
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 8:57 AM
To: 'mcoh-eh at 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



This message originates from the Yale New Haven Health System. The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential. If you are the intended recipient you must maintain this message in a secure and confidential manner. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and destroy this message. Thank you.





Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, from Cape

Regional Health System contains information which is CONFIDENTIAL AND/OR LEGALLY

PRIVILEGED.The information is intended only for the use of the individual named

above and may not be disseminated to any other party without Cape Regional Health

System's written permission. If you are not the intended recipient, or the

employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended

recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, disclosure,

distribution, copying or taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this

e-mailed information is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this e-mail in

error, please notify us immediately by telephone at 609-463-2163 to arrange for

the return of these documents to us without cost to you.

This message (including any attachments) is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the message (including any attachments) and notify the originator that you received the message in error. Any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender specifies and with authority, states them to be the views of Tenet Healthcare Corporation.
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential 
and are intended solely for the use of the individual or 
entity to which they are addressed.  If you are not the 
intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering 
the email to the intended recipient, be advised that you have 
received the email in error and that any use, dissemination, 
forwarding, printing or copying of the email is strictly 
prohibited.   If you have received this email in error, please 
immediately notify Bristol Hospital at 860-585-3000 and 
delete this message.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mylist.net/archives/mcoh-eh/attachments/20140508/62f30081/attachment-0001.html>


More information about the MCOH-EH mailing list