Population screening for glaucoma in UK: current recommendations and future directions.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Screening Programs

Background:

• Effective population screening for glaucoma is crucial for early diagnosis and preventing irreversible vision loss.
• The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) reviewed the viability of a population-based screening program for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the UK NSC review on population-based screening for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
• To discuss future directions for effective glaucoma screening strategies.

Main Methods:

• The UK NSC review examined six new studies published since 2015.
• Key questions addressed: accuracy of screening tests for POAG and improved outcomes compared to standard care.

Main Results:

• The review concluded that population screening for glaucoma is not currently recommended.
• There is insufficient evidence for a sufficiently accurate screening test or for better outcomes with screening compared to current care.
• Low disease prevalence leads to high false-positive rates, even with accurate tests.

Conclusions:

• Opportunistic case finding through General Ophthalmic Services is the primary method for glaucoma identification in the UK.
• Future effective screening may involve targeted approaches using polygenic risk prediction and deep learning for identifying high-prevalence subgroups.
• Increased public awareness of existing services is beneficial.