Report: Comprehensive military eye exams cost-effective, boost readiness
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A recent report published by the Rand Corp. found that comprehensive eye exams for service members instead of basic visual acuity screenings would be cost-effective and promote military readiness.
“Military vision readiness is essential to ensure that service members have the visual fitness required to perform their mission successfully, maintain deployability and serve without duty limitations,” Capt. Todd Lauby, OD, chief of the Defense Health Agency’s Vision Center of Excellence, said in an American Optometric Association press release. “Optimizing vision is critical to the survivability of the warfighter and the lethality they project.”
While current military eye exams test for refractive errors, a comprehensive exam would also screen for corneal dystrophy, dry eye, glaucoma, keratoconus, retinal dystrophy and visual dysfunctions secondary to traumatic brain injuries.
The report finds that through early diagnosis and timely intervention, the costs of implementing comprehensive eye exams would offset the current costs on productivity and military strength.
“We recommend the introduction of periodic comprehensive eye exams, especially for [service members] for whom the negative impacts of undiagnosed [ocular and visual dysfunctions] on contributions to the force are high,” the report says.
Reference:
- Cost-Benefit Analysis of Comprehensive Military Eye Examination Policies. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2188-1.html. Published Oct. 22, 2024. Accessed Dec. 27, 2024.
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