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CDC launches eye health surveillance system
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The CDC developed the Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System in response to the estimated 61 million adults in the U.S. at high risk for serious vision loss.
The National Opinion Research Center collaborated with the CDC on the launch of the Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System (VEHSS), which was designed as the nation’s first data surveillance resource for eye care professionals, according to an announcement from the CDC.
Health care professionals, researchers, policymakers and state health departments can search the site for information about eye conditions and diseases at both the state and national level to better understand the scope of vision loss, eye disorders and eye care services in the U.S.
The site integrates information from national survey data, longitudinal population-based studies, registry data, electronic health records and administrative claims records that estimate eye condition prevalence across multiple years. According to the CDC, visitors to the site can identify and collect existing data of a specific population’s vision and eye health and create case definitions to consistently analyze the data.
The system also provides estimates of the prevalence of eye disorders and disabilities, the use of eye health services, and health disparities in visual health treatment and outcomes, which users can then analyze.
The CDC said major vision problems cause a heavy economic burden, costing Americans older than 40 years $145 billion annually. Additionally, as much as 98% of visual impairment in the U.S. could be prevented with timely diagnosis and early treatment, and VEHSS could be part of the solution.
VEHSS is now available at https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/vehss/index.html.