Paediatric vision screening in the primary care setting in Ontario

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Early intervention is crucial for preventing treatable causes of childhood vision loss.
• Adherence to established vision screening guidelines is essential for timely detection of visual impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate primary care physicians' adherence to Canadian vision screening guidelines in Ontario.
• To identify barriers encountered in primary care settings that impede effective vision screening.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted.
• 19-question surveys were distributed to 3000 randomly selected family physicians, general practitioners, and pediatricians in Ontario.

Main Results:

• Only 65% of family physicians/GPs and 52% of pediatricians reported performing vision screening at every well-child visit.
• Red reflex testing was common in children under 3 (94%) but decreased significantly for older children (25%).
• Lack of training (50%), time constraints (42%), and inadequate reimbursement (17%) were primary barriers cited by physicians.

Conclusions:

• Current vision screening practices in Ontario primary care fall short of recommended guidelines.
• Addressing identified barriers is necessary to improve pediatric vision screening and prevent vision loss.