Spectacles remain the most popular solution for myopic children among Australian optometrists, a Melbourne University study has found.
While optometrists appear to be aware of emerging evidence for other treatments and the association between high myopia and retinal breaks, retinal detachment and primary open‐angle glaucoma, they are not routinely adopting myopia controlling measures, said study authors, optometrists Amanda Douglass, Peter Keller and Laura Downie from the University of Melbourne and Professor Mingguang He from the Centre for Eye Research. “Clinical guidelines may be of value to assist practitioners in making clinical decisions based on the current, best‐available research evidence,” they suggested.
This first myopia management survey of 239 optometrists found single‐vision distance (full correction) spectacles were most commonly prescribed for childhood myopia, with 50% indicating they would ‘always’ or ‘mostly’ prescribe this option, followed by progressive addition lenses. This was despite most optometrists identifying ortho-k, low‐dose atropine (0.01%) and soft peripheral defocus contact lenses as potentially more effective therapeutic interventions.
The study was published in the March issue of Clinical and Experimental Optometry. www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cxo.12936
