General News
Optometry
Alumni News
Primary eye care providers looking for an evidence-based tool to treat amblyopia now have a road map. And an associate professor from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Drexel University played a key role in the research behind the development of the tool.
Stanley Hatch, OD, Resident ‘91, MPH, FAAO, FCOVD, chief of the Pediatric/Binocular Vision Services at The Eye Institute (TEI), PCO’s clinical facility, was one of a group of 22 pediatric eye disease group investigators participating in more than 20 randomized clinical trials over a nearly four-year period to develop an “evidence-based decision tree” for treating amblyopia.
The research has been published in JAMA Ophthalmology, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering aspects of ophthalmology, and the information is now available on a free app called Amblyopia Navigator Decision-Support Instrument (ANDI), so primary care eye doctors can utilize the information.
A panel from the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) synthesized relevant literature and incorporated consensus opinion where direct evidence was lacking to create the Amblyopia Navigator Decision-Support Instrument, a free, web-based amblyopia decision support tool for eye care professionals.
According to Dr. Hatch, amblyopia is the leading cause of monocular decreased best-corrected vision in children. Early detection and intervention are key for optimal treatment outcomes; however, limited access to pediatric eye specialists may hinder timely care and affect visual outcomes.
“Given the shortage of specialty-trained pediatric eye care professionals in the U.S., there is a need to support comprehensive eye care professionals who are willing to examine and treat children with amblyopia,” said Dr. Hatch.
According to Dr. Hatch, because amblyopia is common and typically responds well to treatment, decision support tools that optimize its management could increase access to pediatric eye care by facilitating earlier detection, enabling broader participation of primary eye care professionals, and ultimately improving visual outcomes.
“Through this work and the development of the forthcoming free, web-based application version, Amblyopia Navigator Decision-Support Instrument, the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group has created decision support tools designed to assist optometrists and ophthalmologists in the care of children aged three to 17 years with amblyopia,” said Dr. Hatch.
He added that it was a collegial group of researchers, and there were some new things he was unaware in which his colleagues picked up on out of the hundreds of references the group reviewed for the paper.
“Between ophthalmology and optometry, we probably agree on 95 percent of all items,” said Dr. Hatch. “But it’s the five percent that made for great discussion, looking up references and cross-checking. It was pretty exciting. We’re hoping a lot of primary care doctors who have been reluctant to treat children in the past will be willing to do that now.”
