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For most effective glaucoma screenings, screen high risk groups, use appropriate tools
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ATLANTA — Despite recent findings that have not recommended glaucoma screening, when examining high risk groups and using appropriate screening tools, screening can be an effective means of detecting the disease, a glaucoma specialist said here.
Not only do effective screenings detect glaucoma, they can also help educate those in high risk groups about the need for follow-up and compliance, Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD, said at the Glaucoma Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here.
"For a lot of these individuals, the first contact they have with the health care system is through screenings. So it's a great opportunity to educate them," she said.
Dr. Coleman said that in 2005, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force found insufficient evidence for or against recommending screening for glaucoma, and two other groups have since released similar findings.
However, glaucoma screening can be an effective means of detection when examining for the disease in high risk groups, she said. Such groups include the elderly, those with family members with the disease and ethnicities highest at risk, she said.
In addition, screeners should use appropriate tools, not just measuring IOP, but also examining the optic nerve and visual acuity and visual fields, Dr. Coleman said.