Eyeglasses are an essential service for eligible Veterans, as vision impairment can lead to mental health concerns, falls and need for social care. VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Services is committed to providing all eligible Veterans with eyeglasses and, in 2023, provided nearly two million pairs of eyeglasses to Veterans.
Eye care is one of the top three busiest VHA services, and eyeglasses represent between 10-20% of VA prosthetic purchases. High demand can lead to waiting for eyeglasses and a negative experience for Veterans.
A team of prosthetic staff from Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISN) 23 and VISN 22 recognized that manual eyeglass ordering was time-consuming.
Those two VISNs serve Veterans in Arizona, New Mexico, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and portions of Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
One order could be 40 steps long and take hours to complete. With a vision to improve the experiences of an estimated 1.3 million Veterans ordering 1.6 million pairs of eyeglasses, the team created 4-Sight. This software tool uses automation to improve the speed and efficiency of eyeglass delivery to Veterans.
Framing the future of eyeglasses for Veterans
The journey to 4-Sight started in 2015 when Tim Strebel and colleagues at VA Long Beach Healthcare System developed a way to automate oxygen delivery to Veterans’ homes. After the practice was designated a Diffusion of Excellence 2017 VHA Shark Tank Competition winner, the successful automation process gained the attention of the VISN 23 prosthetic program.
VA employees Brian Kaiser and Spencer Mion were on a mission to improve the eyeglass ordering process. Together, the team developed 4-Sight, an adaptation of the automated oxygen delivery software tool reconfigured to reduce or eliminate processing time for eyeglass orders.
4-Sight also increases the likelihood that Veterans will receive the correct eyeglasses by ensuring vendors receive accurate patient prescription information.
In 2018, with support from VISN 23 staff, Kaiser piloted 4-Sight at Sioux Falls VA, reducing the number of steps in the process from 40 to six. After this impressive achievement, the team was able to expand the practice across VISN 23 and VISN 22 that same year.
Spectacular results
By the end of 2018, 4-Sight saved 3,605 hours of processing time for 112,3477 orders of eyeglasses. The team entered 4-Sight in Diffusion’s 2018 VHA Shark Tank Competition and the practice was selected as a winner to replicate at Lexington VA and Great Lakes VA. By the end of 2019, 4-Sight had reduced Veteran wait times for eyeglasses by over 53%.
“We were able to essentially work more efficiently and provide better services to our Veterans,” said Mion, noting how the improved process allows more attention for other orders, such as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs. By improving efficiency and reliability, the practice supports VA’s journey to a High Reliability Organization.
In collaboration with Diffusion, the 4-Sight team has implemented its innovation in 82 sites across 13 VISNs, processing over 4,000,000 eyeglasses orders and saving over 55,000 hours of processing time, getting eyeglasses to Veterans faster.
“The goal would be to have it at every medical center in the country,” shared Kaiser. The team is on its way to achieving this vision and sustaining the practice with plans to create a web-based application with enhanced reporting features.
To learn more about 4-Sight, explore their page on Diffusion Marketplace. If you are a Veteran looking to learn more about VA eye care services, contact your VA primary care provider. Want to learn more about innovation at VA? Visit our website, scan Diffusion Marketplace, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, and explore VA Pathfinder to learn more about our opportunities.
Innovation Heroes is a recurring series from the VA Innovation Ecosystem focusing on VA employees who are driving innovation forward and improving the lives of Veterans and fellow VA employees.
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When will this be available? In San Diego?
I agree with other comments that the quality of VA lenses and frames were below commercially accepted quality.
It would help if the selection of frames were improved and enhanced. The selection is limited based on style. The selection is limited based on fit. I NEED an earpiece minimum length of 150. Very hard to find in VA’s current selections. For a lot of years my glasses caused me headaches because they were too narrow. The flexible temple helped take care of that. They have now mostly disappeared. I have gone on Ebay and purchased well-fitting glasses in the colors and size that I need. Most were new and came from sellers who were liquidating merchandise from optical shops that went out of business. So the lab manager for the optical shop that services the Roudebush VA Medical Center refused to accept glasses purchased elsewhere by the veterans. The lab managers didn’t want to be responsible for damage to the frames. But I have received their frames with the temples sprung. How much risk are they assuming for frames that cost a veteran $15-$20. It begs the question of whether or not the labs are forcing veterans to buy strictly from them. “Captive audiences” are not unheard of, Try fixing this problem. And there is another alternative. Arrange with vendors from outside the VA (example Walmart) to provide lenses at a fixed price for each component of a prescription that the optometrist says is necessary. Then the veterans can by-pass these uncooperative labs.
Why can’t I use other insurance when I use the VA? With the big push to make sure you know if we use outside Medical. We should be allowed to use outside insurance.
My eye dr at the Austin VA said since I got a pair last year, she didn’t think I needed another pair this year!!! It’s the first and only time in over 15 years that the eye dr refused to supply me with eyeglasses. The year before I went to Temple VA and the eye dr refused to dialate my eyes. It had been two years since last dialation. What is going on with VA eye clinics in Texas?
Yea, I’ll comment.
Though you may have gotten the process to get veteran’s their eyeglasses sooner, the general quality of both the lenses and frames are basically . . . shit!
Every optics place I’ve gone to for just picking out the frames say comments like, “the store could do a hell of a lot better for frame options even at a similiar price . . . or, “very poor selection”. Heck, you can only choose from about 20 frame styles (if that) and of those 20 usually none of them are even close to something that the individual would ever choose for themselves.
Also, with progressive lenses your field of in-focus vision is limited to about an inch!! Yes, you read correctly. An inch !! Now compare that with say Physio 3 or your medium (even) quality lenses and well, there is no comparison. Once I try the online store Zelle I’ll just use the veteran glasses as backups because of their such poor lense quality. Also, I tried cleaning the lenses once with an alcohol wipe and it messed up the coating. You wouldn’t have that problem either with quality lenses.
I’ve never a had a problem with the speed. The quality of the glasses is the issue. They are horrible plastic junk, the lenses are so cheap my civilian eye doctor walked them around to show his colleagues to laughs and groans of disappointment in what the VA expects Veterans to accept. “What a shame” was the comment of the day.
It’s about time!
That’s great but there is always a but in the VA system. Processing is great after the order is placed the VA must pay for the glasses. I have been waiting 7 weeks for my glasses. I went to the optical shop at the hospital to check to see what the problem was.They informed me the VA had not paid there bill since July 30th the day I checked on the glasses September 13th of this year I was told they did not know when I would get them due to lack of payment
All is fine until you have a Dr who doesn’t tell you how you cataracts are currently. Then the Dr spins the lens a few times and pronounced a prescription. Never looked at my history. Then to the person who handles frames and he treats you like a bum off the streets.
It’s been a few years since I last had my eyes checked at the VA and got my glasses their. From making the appointment (seems always a Not in sign posted) to the quality of the glasses is not the best. Within a year I was experiencing headaches to the point I had to remove them to read by holding the docs closer. The staff at the optometrist treated me like they had better things to do. It’s a whirlwind of in and out for the vet.
How about a good size increase in travel reimbursements. It’s been years and Biden has succeeded in sky high prices. Get rid of the $18.00 deductible.
So you blame Biden? LMFAO
Biden didn’t have crap to do with the cost increase. I bet you wouldn’t give him credit for the increase in your monthly compensation.
Taking 6-8 weeks to get glasses after ordered, is unacceptable. Three weeks into my order I get a message saying that Prostetics has approved my order. I know that the vendors will not even start the order until they gave that authorization. Why would it take 3 weeks to get an approval for a 100% Disabled Vet to get that OK.
Never in over 35 years has it taken 6 weeks or more to get Zhe glasses, why now when we have all the technology and everything that is done online.
It’s really mind boggling.
I look forward to the new process
I had a stroke in the left eye. Some V A allows glasses to help protect from sun rays and some do not why???
Thank you ?
Talk talk every time then when implemented it don’t work locally
I don’t live near a facility for choosing frames. I have to continually order the same frames on file. If I want a different type I must travel 2+hours to do so. I end up buying another pair for backups at Walmart or someplace else and it’s expensive.
I have an appointment in September but Iv’e been waiting since june 1, how vcan i get a pair of glasses that im do now
Sgt. Lovell Singleterry, Houston VET
Another win for veterans, courtesy of the VA!
Humbled to have served and grateful for the VA benefits afforded us.
The VA is constantly modernizing and expanding its services for veterans everywhere.
Great program for us minority veteran live in remote areas. Please more information how to apply.