Question

A medical assistant is performing a visual acuity test on an adult patient. The patient is able to read the 20/30 line with both eyes but misses one letter. Which of the following results should the assistant document in the patient's medical record?

1) 20/30 vision in both eyes
2) 20/20 vision in both eyes
3) 20/30 vision in one eye and 20/20 vision in the other eye
4) 20/40 vision in both eyes

Answer 1

The medical assistant should document the patient's visual acuity as 20/30- in both eyes, reflecting the patient's ability to read the 20/30 line on the Snellen chart with one missed letter.

Step-by-step explanation:

When performing a visual acuity test, the medical assistant should document the results that reflect the patient’s ability to read the Snellen chart. As the patient was able to read the 20/30 line but missed one letter, the appropriate documentation should reflect this. Therefore, the result that should be documented is 20/30- vision in both eyes, which accounts for the slight imperfection in reading the line fully.

It’s important to note this specific designation (-) because it acknowledges that while the patient could see the 20/30 line, they did not read it perfectly. The number following the slash indicates the distance at which a person with normal vision could read the same line that the patient read at 20 feet. Thus, the patient has slightly less than normal visual acuity.