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Low-cost screening, treatment method may be helpful in developing countries
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SAN FRANCISCO — A low-cost method of vision screening and treatment may benefit patients in developing countries, a study showed.
The study findings, released at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, showed the benefits of a vision screening method using an auto-refractor, vision chart and pre-made glasses, according to Thomas S. Shane, MD.
Of 385 people tested in rural Mayan villages in southern Belize, 79 were found to need glasses. Testing was performed, and the auto-refractor reported the patient's lens prescription in less than 1 minute. Vision improved, on average, from 20/60 without glasses to 20/25 with glasses, the results showed.
"This method requires minimal health care worker training and treatment time per patient," Dr. Shane said. "Costs are further minimized because eyeglasses with a range of lens prescriptions to treat the most common refractive errors could be produced and shipped in bulk. Compared to current practices in developing countries, our method may be much more effective, especially where the need is great but resources are limited."