Amblyopia-A novel virtual round table to explore the caregiver perspective.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Vision Care
• Clinical Trial Design

Background:

• Amblyopia, or lazy eye, significantly impacts children and families.
• Current amblyopia management, particularly patching, can be burdensome and frustrating for caregivers.
• Limited understanding of patient and caregiver perspectives in treatment development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand caregiver perspectives on amblyopia's impact on children and families.
• To gather caregiver views on the design and feasibility of clinical trials for novel amblyopia therapies, specifically dichoptic binocular therapies.
• To inform future treatment strategies and clinical trial protocols.

Main Methods:

• A moderated, structured discussion on a virtual advisory-board platform.
• Involved parents of children with amblyopia, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals.
• Collected 645 posts over a 14-day period in September 2021.

Main Results:

• Caregivers perceive amblyopia treatment as more burdensome than the condition itself.
• Parents desire safe, non-invasive, engaging treatments like video-game-based dichoptic binocular therapy.
• Caregivers are more likely to join trials for novel therapies if offered alongside traditional treatments, especially if home-based and entertaining.

Conclusions:

• Caregiver perspectives are crucial for the acceptance and success of amblyopia interventions.
• Understanding the child and family's experience is essential for guiding therapy and evaluating treatment value.
• Integrating patient-centered insights into clinical trials and practice can improve amblyopia management.