Lublin Region a European Pioneer in Vision Screening for Children

More than 6,000 children from the Lublin region have undergone advanced vision screening examinations as part of two stages of a pioneering program carried out by the University Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Lublin. The first stage of the project, involving 1,105 children, lasted approximately one year. The second stage, covering 5,000 children, will officially conclude on May 26. The examinations were conducted by nursing teams under the supervision of Renata Krzyżanowska, MA, and under the scientific leadership of Joanna Dolar-Szczasny, PhD, DSc.

The project, initiated by Prof. Robert Rejdak, Head of the University Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology, has been recognized by ophthalmological communities in Poland and across Europe for its innovation, large scale, and the use of state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies.

The Lublin region has become one of the leading centers of modern pediatric ophthalmic prevention in Europe. The second and largest stage of the children’s vision screening program, carried out by the Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology in Lublin as part of the “Lublin Digital Union” project led by Prof. Robert Rejdak, is now coming to an end.

Second Stage: 5,000 Children Screened Across the Lublin Region

The second stage had far more ambitious objectives than the earlier pilot activities carried out at the turn of 2021 and 2022. The project aimed to examine 5,000 children from across the region, including those living in small towns and transport-excluded areas. The official completion of the examinations is scheduled for May 26, 2026.

The screenings were conducted directly in schools by a specialized team from the Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology in Lublin under the supervision of Renata Krzyżanowska, MA, Head of the Operating Block and coordinator of the project carried out in educational institutions throughout the Lublin region.

– “The examinations included refraction assessment using a device called an autorefractometer, as well as visual acuity testing with ophthalmic charts. Each child received a screening report together with further recommendations,” explains Renata Krzyżanowska.

Specialists diagnosed mainly myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, but also strabismus and amblyopia. – “The essence of this project is that the clinical team travels directly to schools and examines children on site using highly advanced diagnostic equipment,” emphasizes Prof. Robert Rejdak, Head of the Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology in Lublin.

The second stage of the program revealed that approximately 35 percent of examined children had refractive errors requiring further ophthalmological diagnostics and treatment. Children diagnosed with abnormalities were referred for comprehensive examinations at the Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology in Lublin.

Professor Rejdak stresses that the project had not only medical significance, but also an important educational and social dimension.

– “The initiative was met with great interest and very positive feedback from parents and teachers. Schools themselves started requesting these examinations. The program raises public awareness of how important proper vision diagnostics in children really are,” says Prof. Rejdak.

The program was financed by the former Polish Ministry of Education and Science and constitutes part of the broader “Lublin Digital Union” research initiative implemented jointly by the Medical University of Lublin, Lublin University of Technology and the University of Life Sciences in Lublin.

The First Stage Opened the Door to European Recognition

The currently concluding second stage was a continuation of pilot examinations conducted at the turn of 2021 and 2022. During the first phase, 1,105 children from the Lublin region were screened.

Already at that stage, the project attracted considerable attention from ophthalmological communities across Europe. The Lublin team received an award from the German Society of Ophthalmic Surgeons in Nuremberg and was invited to present the project at the Congress of the Swiss Ophthalmological Society. Experts appreciated the pioneering nature of the initiative, its scale and the use of cutting-edge diagnostic technologies.

– “This award recognized the pioneering and innovative nature of the program as well as the application of the latest technologies in such a large-scale screening initiative,” stresses Prof. Rejdak.

The Lublin team is also involved in other innovative ophthalmological projects, including the well-known “Okobus” initiative, which has likewise gained recognition among specialists both in Poland and abroad.

The completion of the second stage of the children’s vision screening program confirms that the Lublin region has become both a national and European leader in modern ophthalmological prevention for children. Thanks to the commitment of the clinical team and the use of advanced technologies, a screening model has been developed that may serve as an example for other regions in Poland and across Europe. The program has not only enabled the detection of vision disorders in thousands of children, but has also significantly increased public awareness of the importance of early ophthalmological diagnostics.

Jolanta Czudak-Tomaka