Alliance targets misinformed

Issue: March 15, 2000

[RELATED ARTICLE: CIBA Vision poised for widescale Visudyne launch upon approval]

The AMD Alliance International was established to improve the public’s understanding of AMD and the need for routine eye examinations. And one of its first actions was to document the depth of misunderstanding that now exists on these subjects.

According to a press release from the nonprofit group, AMD Alliance International conducted a survey of 6,951 adults in Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States in mid-1999.

Although 61% said they have eye examinations at least every 2 years, 42% said that the main purpose of an eye exam is to find out whether new eyeglasses or contact lenses are needed. Only 13% said the main purpose is to detect eye diseases at an early stage. This makes some observers wonder whether patients understand what a complete medical eye examination entails or who is qualified to perform one.

When it comes to AMD, there is even less understanding. When asked to name the leading cause of severe vision loss among adults age 50 years and older, respondents most often said simply “aging” (39%), followed by cataracts (10%) and glaucoma (10%). Only 2% correctly named AMD.

“Consistently, across all countries, the general public is not aware of AMD, a leading cause of blindness, how to detect it or the available options for its treatment and rehabilitation,” said Dr. Robert Thompson, chairman of AMD Alliance International, chairman of the Macular Disease Society of the U.K. and an AMD sufferer himself. “It is the mission of the Alliance to change that.”

The Alliance Board of Directors is composed of representatives of eye care organizations from around the world, including groups like the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Canadian National Institute for the blind, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Retina France. It is currently supported by a grant from CIBA Vision, but the group says it will seek additional financial support in order to “expand the work of the Alliance.”

For Your Information:

AMD Alliance International can be reached on-line at www.amdalliance.org; telephone (877) 263-7171.