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A survey of pediatric visual assessment by optometrists in New South Wales
Catherine M Suttle1, Reginald Wong, Philip J Anderton
1School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
Insights
Optometrists in rural New South Wales are more likely to manage pediatric vision care, including amblyopia, and less likely to refer patients than urban practitioners. This study highlights practice variations in pediatric eye care.
Area of Science:
- Optometry
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Vision Care
Background:
- Early vision care is crucial for preventing and treating amblyopia (lazy eye).
- Optometrists play a key role in pediatric visual assessment and management.
- Understanding the current practices of optometrists in pediatric care is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of optometrists in New South Wales (NSW) in providing pediatric vision care.
- To identify the methods and strategies used by optometrists in managing young patients.
- To explore associations between practice characteristics and pediatric patient management.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was distributed to 400 optometrists in NSW.
- A total of 179 completed questionnaires were returned for analysis.
Main Results:
- Practice location (rural vs. city) significantly impacts patient management.
- Optometrists in rural areas, full-time practice, or self-employed were more likely to treat pediatric patients.
- Practitioners in rural settings demonstrated a lower referral rate compared to urban counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Practice characteristics, such as location and employment status, are associated with how optometrists manage pediatric vision care.
- Findings suggest a potential shift in collaborative patterns between optometrists and ophthalmologists for pediatric patient management.
- Rural optometrists appear to manage more pediatric cases directly, potentially reducing referrals.
Background:
The importance of early vision care in the prevention and treatment of amblyopia is clear from an abundance of literature on visual development. Optometrists possess the necessary skills to detect and manage amblyogenic factors and thus have an important role to play in paediatric visual assessment and management. The present study investigates the role that optometrists in New South Wales are taking in paediatric vision care and the methods and strategies used in this role.
Methods:
Questionnaires were sent to 400 optometrists practising in New South Wales; 179 completed questionnaires were returned.
Results And Discussion:
Our findings reveal a number of associations between practice characteristics (such as location) and the management of paediatric patients. In general, practitioners in rural locations, in full-time practice or self-employed were more likely to treat patients and less likely to refer them elsewhere than those in city locations, in part-time practice or employed by others. In addition, our findings suggest the possibility of a changing pattern of collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists in the management of paediatric patients.
