Research
Real-World Workplace Return on Investment of a Computer-Specific Vision Intervention Benefit for Presbyopes
KEY POINTS
Productivity related to health issues can be sub-divided into absenteeism and presenteeism. Presenteeism describes workers who are present but not fully productive because of health-related concerns such as discomfort, depression, anxiety or musculoskeletal pain related to ergonomic issues (Jinnett et al, 2008).
Overall, the criticality of enhancing worker productivity is increasingly being recognized as important to the profitability of business activities.
Presbyopes using computers may suffer from ergonomic issues. Typically prescribed bifocals are designed for reading at a relatively low angle and at a distance of 16 inches (40 cm). Since computer monitors are nearly always higher in the field of vision and further away (20 inches or 50 cm), presbyopes are forced to tilt their head back to achieve the proper viewing angle and at the same time, to move forward to adjust for the distance of the monitor.
This paper outlines a protocol designed to assess the real-world workplace return-on-investment (ROI) of a computer-specific vision intervention benefit for
SUMMARY
Although studies have suggested potential benefits of specially -designed eye glasses for computer use (Brewer et al, 2006; Daum et al, 2004), no study in the workplace has confirmed the benefits of a vision intervention for presbyopes.
This proposal describes a prospective, randomized, parallel -group comparison of workplace productivity, visual comfort and visual function of presbyopic call -center employees using computers wearing habitual bifocal lenses (with uncorrected refractive error (RE)), best refractive correction and traditional bifocal lenses or specially -designed computer eyewear, the Essilor Computer lens.
The hypothesis of the study is that computer users wearing an accurate prescription and optimized Essilor Computer lenses will demonstrate greater productivity, visual comfort and visual function than workers wearing their best refractive correction and traditional bifocal lenses and that workers wearing their best refractive correction and traditional bifocal lenses will, in turn, demonstrate greater productivity, visual comfort and visual function than workers wearing lenses with their habitual RE and traditional bifocal lenses.
Estimates of changes in productivity over the course of a year will also enable an assessment of the return on investment of the intervention and the study is designed to allow an assessment of the relative importance of refractive error and lens design in using a computer.