A new open access literature analysis, Myopia Control 2020: Where are we and where are we heading? discusses a range of critically evaluated safety and efficacy considerations for behavioural, optical and pharmaceutical myopia management pathways.
The paper presents a snapshot of the rapid evolution of the field, addressing multiple questions that optometrists may have, including who to manage, the relative strengths of various methodologies and when to modify or stop care, said co-authors Houston University Professor Mark Bullimore and Associate Professor Kathryn Richdale.
Published in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics, the review also discusses potential future avenues for myopia management, including a continuum of care starting with the delay of onset followed by individual or combination therapies to slow myopia progression, they said. “Management of an individual child should be underpinned by evidence-based literature and clinicians must stay alert for ongoing myopia research. [This] will undoubtedly result in the evolution of the standard of care for the myopic and pre-myopic child.”
Supported by an educational grant from Coopervision, the review supports a call for ophthalmology and optometry to determine a collaborative framework and referral patterns in the interest of prevention, education and proactively addressing associated pathology.
“We hope this comprehensive review reaches optometrists to offer sound, science-backed evaluation that can help advance myopia management strategies in practices worldwide,” said James Gardner, vice president of global myopia management at Coopervision. “Clinical education plays an important role in our efforts to see more children undertake myopia management, alongside ongoing research, ground-breaking products, such as our MiSight 1-day contact lenses, advocacy and corporate social responsibility initiatives.”
