Self-reported optometric practise patterns in age-related macular degeneration

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Advanced imaging is emerging in clinical practice.
• Optometrists' use of advanced imaging for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) assessment is of interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore current practices of Australian and New Zealand optometrists in diagnosing and managing AMD.
• To investigate the adoption and impact of advanced imaging technologies in AMD care.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of 127 Australian and 87 New Zealand optometrists.
• Survey covered demographics, clinical skills, AMD assessment/management, and self-rated competency using a Likert scale.

Main Results:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the most common advanced imaging technique for AMD (49% of respondents).
• OCT use correlated with higher self-rated competency, knowledge, and perceived relevance.
• Significant variation exists in advanced imaging use; many optometrists' views on nutritional supplements for early AMD contradict evidence.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal and advanced imaging, particularly OCT, are increasingly used by optometrists for AMD assessment.
• Variations in competency and understanding of nutritional supplements suggest a need for further optometrist up-skilling in AMD management.