Insights From Our Editors

How Many Hours a Day Do Your Patients Use Digital Devices?

Protection against eye strain is a significant need in the US, findings from the 2014 Vision Council VisionWatch Digital Eye Strain Report suggest. About a third of respondents use digital devices, such as computers, tablets, smartphones and video game consoles two to five hours per day, followed closely by those who use devices for six to nine hours per day. In total, 63.5 percent of the adult population in the US uses digital devices between two and nine hours daily. The 55 and older age group is about 11 percent more likely than younger groups to only use devices between two to five hours a day.

As more people spend more time on computers, we are going to find more symptomatic people in our offices. Unless we probe effectively, it is possible these symptomatic people will not associate their problems with their visual system. A key question that must be on the pre-examination history questionnaire is: How much total screen time do you have on an average day? The answer to this question easily starts a conversation about computer vision syndrome.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) has a great resource for your practice on computer vision syndrome (CVS).

In addition to discussing the cause of CVS, how to diagnose CVS and how to treat CVS, this AOA resource gives seven recommendations for managing computer activities. The seven recommendations cover the following areas: location of computer screen, placement of reference materials when working on a computer, lighting, anti-glare screens, seating position, rest breaks and blinking.

These seven recommendations can easily be used within your practice as a poster, content in your newsletter, content on your web site or as an e-mail blast to your patients.

Your action plan for this week is to use these seven recommendations as both an educational tool and a marketing tool in your practice. Be creative, but also make sure to bring the point home:“If you are experiencing symptoms, we can help. Let us know.”

Editor’s Note: Click HERE for news of a new web site designed for low vision patients. The page itself is accessible to those with low vision.

To Top
Subscribe Today for Free...
And join more than 35,000 optometric colleagues who have made Review of Optometric Business their daily business advisor.