If you have a Feinbloom chart at 10 ft and the patient can’t read the next line, what is the next step?

If you have a Feinbloom chart at 10 ft and the patient can’t read the next line, what is the next step?

• A. Move Closer; If Moving Closer Than 5 Feet, Consider Larger Characters
• B. Move Farther Away
• C. Switch to a Chart With Smaller Characters
• D. Conclude Testing

Answer: (A)

When testing distance vision with a Feinbloom chart, you want to find the largest line the patient can read at a given distance. If the patient can’t read the next smaller line at 10 feet, the next step is to move closer so the letters occupy a larger visual angle and become easier to discern. This adjustment helps you determine the patient’s readable threshold without changing the chart size, giving a practical measure of distance vision with low-vision aids in mind. If you discover you’d have to move closer than five feet to read a line, switch to a chart with larger characters. That keeps testing feasible and meaningful at a safer, more comfortable distance while still capturing the patient’s functional acuity. Moving farther away or choosing a smaller-print chart wouldn’t aid someone with reduced vision, and you’d prematurely conclude testing without identifying the usable line.

When testing distance vision with a Feinbloom chart, you want to find the largest line the patient can read at a given distance. If the patient can’t read the next smaller line at 10 feet, the next step is to move closer so the letters occupy a larger visual angle and become easier to discern. This adjustment helps you determine the patient’s readable threshold without changing the chart size, giving a practical measure of distance vision with low-vision aids in mind.

If you discover you’d have to move closer than five feet to read a line, switch to a chart with larger characters. That keeps testing feasible and meaningful at a safer, more comfortable distance while still capturing the patient’s functional acuity. Moving farther away or choosing a smaller-print chart wouldn’t aid someone with reduced vision, and you’d prematurely conclude testing without identifying the usable line.