Performance of the Spot vision screener in children younger than three years-of-age

Purpose To evaluate the use of the Spot Vision Screener (Spot; Welch Allyn, Skaneateles Falls, NY) for detection of amblyopia risk factors in children aged 6 months to 3 years, as defined by the 2013 guidelines of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Design Reliability analysis Methods In this study, children seen from 01 June 2012 to 30 April 2016 were tested with the Spot during a routine visit. Enrolled children underwent a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic refraction and sensorimotor testing within six months of the testing date by a pediatric ophthalmologist masked to the Spot results. Results A total of 184 children were included. The Spot successfully obtained readings in 89.7% of patients. Compared to the ophthalmologist's examination, the Spot had an overall sensitivity of 89.8% and a specificity of 70.4%. Conclusion: The Spot achieved good sensitivity and specificity for detection of amblyopia risk factors in this young cohort, particularly in the older subgroup. Our data offer support for automated vision screening in young children.