Myopia Management in Ontario, Canada
Amy H. Y. Chow, Barbara Caffery, Sarah Guthrie, Mira Acs, Angela Di Marco, Stephanie Fromstein, Stephanie Ramdass, Vishakha Thakrar, Shalu Pal, Matthew Zeidenberg, Deborah A. Jones

TL;DR
This study examines how optometrists in Ontario manage pediatric myopia and finds that myopia control interventions are becoming more common and are being started at lower refractive errors over time.
Contribution
The study provides new insights into the evolving trends in pediatric myopia management practices among optometrists in Ontario.
Findings
Single-vision spectacle correction was the primary intervention for myopic children, but its use decreased from 98.2% in 2017 to 56.7% in 2023.
Myopia control modalities increased from 1.8% to 43.3% between 2017 and 2023, with interventions initiated at lower refractive errors over time.
Optometrists with longer experience were more likely to prescribe older myopia control methods like bifocals compared to newer graduates.
Abstract
Objectives: To determine how optometrists in Canada manage their pediatric myopia patients and to assess whether this has changed over time. Methods: In a retrospective chart review, records for children aged 6–10 years who had an eye exam between 2017 to 2021 were reviewed. Children were grouped by presenting refraction (myopes ≤ −0.50 D or pre-myopes ≤ +0.75 D). Up to five unique patients were selected for each age (6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) and initial visit year (2017 to 2021) for each group (myopes and pre-myopes), for a maximum of 250 files per practice. Demographic information, refraction, and recommended interventions were recorded. Logistic regression was used to model the likelihood of being prescribed a myopia control intervention based on patient and optometrist characteristics. Results: A total of 2905 patients (n = 1467 (50%) female) from 15 practices across Ontario, Canada,…
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Taxonomy
TopicsOphthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies · Corneal surgery and disorders · Glaucoma and retinal disorders
