Leverage partnerships, promote awareness to improve glaucoma detection
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
SAN FRANCISCO — Glaucoma programs can take notes from cataract services to improve detection, according to a speaker at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
Ganesh Venkataraman, MD, said that 50% to 90% of glaucoma cases remain undetected and are not under care, and one-third of patients in lower- or middle-income countries are already blind at diagnosis.
Image: Adobe Stock
“It’s the third leading cause of blindness, fourth leading cause of moderate to severe visual impairment, and it’s the first leading cause of irreversible blindness,” he said.
To expand that detection, Venkataraman said glaucoma specialists can look to cataract programs, which have had success in expanding care. One example is to create public awareness campaigns that include celebrity ambassadors to spread the word to more people. Training and education of care providers are emphasized, with more tasks shifted to ophthalmic assistants and technicians.
Cataract programs also expand outreach by creating screening camps and vision centers to reach underserved populations, and they use government and nongovernmental organizations for support.
At Aravind Eye Hospital in India, Venkataraman said opportunistic screening is used to check people for glaucoma.
“For patients who walk in, their family members are encouraged to have their eyes screened,” he said.
Telemedicine and digital health can be used to improve early detection. This includes seeking out opportunities to work with optical shops, primary health care centers and primary eye care centers to capture more patients.
“Once you have detected the glaucoma, you have to treat [patients] effectively, so reducing the treatment cost, negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost,” Venkataraman said.
Collapse
Venkataraman G. Elusive glaucoma: Strategies for busy eye programmes. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Nov. 3-6, 2023; San Francisco.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts