[Geronto-optometric screening for geriatric patients]

Reduced vision is associated with a lower quality of life, often leads to falls, is a risk factor for dementia and can result in an increased mortality rate among older people. Against the background of an ageing society and inadequate ophthalmological care for older people, we investigated whether a geronto-optometric screening for eye diseases is meaningful for geriatric patients.

Geriatric patients who reported not having had an eye examination in the previous year were included in the geronto-optometric screening. Near vision, intraocular pressure, the presence of metamorphopsia in the Amsler grid test and a fundus photograph were recorded. The anterior and posterior segments of the eye were examined. The pathologies were recorded and classified as requiring treatment or clarification.

A total of 209 patients (418 eyes) were included in the geronto-optometric screening. In 137 individuals (65.6%) or 247 eyes (59.1%), findings requiring treatment or clarification were recorded. The most common diagnosis was cataract, which was classified as requiring treatment in 156 eyes (37.3%) and 27 patients (12.9%) were referred to internal medicine due to changes in the fundus.

The geronto-optometric screening is a useful tool for the detection of age-related eye changes in geriatric patients, as a high proportion of patients were found to have eye conditions requiring treatment.