[MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers

[Hudson, T. Warner]

I agree with Melanie and at times use colored tape to check the color tasks they need; like read and blue for echo tech who must read blue and red but fails the Ishihara and Farnsworh D15, etc..  While their color vision may be imperfect, they can do the tasks required often not needing any accommodation.

Warner


T. Warner Hudson, MD FACOEM, FAAFP
Medical Director, Occupational and Employee Health
UCLA Health System and Campus
Office 310.825.9146
Fax 310.206.4585
Pager 800.233.7231  ID 27132
E-mail twhudson at mednet.ucla.edu<mailto:twhudson at mednet.ucla.edu>
Website www.ohs.uclahealth.org<http://www.ohs.uclahealth.org>
________________________________
From: MCOH-EH [mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of Swift, Melanie [melanie.swift at Vanderbilt.Edu]
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 1:04 PM
To: MCOH/EH
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Color vision testing of healthcare workers

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
http://occupationalhealth.vanderbilt.edu

From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces at 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 at 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 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 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.

________________________________

IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it in a safe, secure and confidential manner. Unauthorized redisclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify us by return email, and delete this message from your computer.