Global trends in myopia management attitudes and strategies in clinical practice – 2019 Update Journal Articles uri icon

  •  
  • Overview
  •  
  • Research
  •  
  • Identity
  •  
  • Additional Document Info
  •  
  • View All
  •  

abstract

  • PURPOSE: A survey in 2015 identified a high level of eye care practitioner concern about myopia with a reported moderately high level of activity, but the vast majority still prescribed single vision interventions to young myopes. This research aimed to update these findings 4 years later. METHODS: A self-administrated, internet-based questionnaire was distributed in eight languages, through professional bodies to eye care practitioners globally. The questions examined: awareness of increasing myopia prevalence, perceived efficacy of available strategies and adoption levels of such strategies, and reasons for not adopting specific strategies. RESULTS: Of the 1336 respondents, concern was highest (9.0 ± 1.6; p < 0.001) in Asia and lowest (7.6 ± 2.2; p < 0.001) in Australasia. Practitioners from Asia also considered their clinical practice of myopia control to be the most active (7.7 ± 2.3; p < 0.001), the North American practitioners being the least active (6.3 ± 2.9; p < 0.001). Orthokeratology was perceived to be the most effective method of myopia control, followed by pharmaceutical approaches and approved myopia control soft contact lenses (p < 0.001). Although significant intra-regional differences existed, overall, most practitioners did not consider single-vision distance under-correction to be an effective strategy for attenuating myopia progression (79.6 %), but prescribed single vision spectacles or contact lenses as the primary mode of correction for myopic patients (63.6 ± 21.8 %). The main justifications for their reluctance to prescribe alternatives to single vision refractive corrections were increased cost (20.6 %) and inadequate information (17.6 %). CONCLUSIONS: While practitioner concern about myopia and the reported level of activity have increased over the last 4 years, the vast majority of eye care clinicians still prescribe single vision interventions to young myopes. With recent global consensus evidence-based guidelines having been published, it is hoped that this will inform the practice of myopia management in future.

authors

  • Wolffsohn, James S
  • Calossi, Antonio
  • Cho, Pauline
  • Gifford, Kate
  • Jones, Lyndon
  • Jones, Deborah
  • Guthrie, Sarah
  • Li, Ming
  • Lipener, Cesar
  • Logan, Nicola S
  • Malet, Florence
  • Peixoto-de-Matos, Sofia C
  • González-Méijome, José M
  • Nichols, Jason J
  • Orr, Janis B
  • Santodomingo-Rubido, Jacinto
  • Schaefer, Tania
  • Thite, Nilesh
  • van der Worp, Eef
  • Tarutta, Elena
  • Iomdina, Elena
  • Ali, Bariah Mohd
  • Villa-Collar, César
  • Abesamis-Dichoso, Carmen
  • Chen, Connie
  • Pult, Heiko
  • Blaser, Pascal
  • Parra Sandra Johanna, Garzon
  • Iqbal, Fatima
  • Ramos, Raul
  • Carrillo Orihuela, Guillermo
  • Boychev, Nikolay

publication date

  • February 2020