Various approaches to myopia management, including behavioural, optical, and pharmacological methods, are being studied and implemented in clinical practice. However, there is currently no standardized approach to managing young premyopic and myopic patients, and access to these methods can vary depending on location. Despite the high level of concern and self-reported engagement in myopia control among eye care practitioners, the results from previous global surveys conducted in 2015 and 2019 revealed that the majority still prescribed single vision refractive correction for young myopes. This paper provides an update on the attitudes and management strategies for myopia in clinical practice worldwide for a survey conducted in 2022.
The survey received responses from over 3,000 practitioners, nearly triple the number from the previous report conducted in 2019. For the first time, the number of responses from Africa was sufficient for continent-wide analysis, providing coverage across six continents. The vast majority of respondents were optometrists and ophthalmologists in all three surveys (2015, 2019, and 2022). The self-reported level of concern about increasing paediatric myopia was still high across all six continents, with practitioners in Asia showing the greatest level of concern. The perceived level of clinical activity in myopia control was also highest in Asia, but with significant differences within the continent. All continents showed an increase in reported clinical activity in myopia control compared to 2019. Practitioners from all six continents perceived combination therapy to be the most effective method of myopia control, but it was one of the least prescribed techniques, ranging from 2% in Africa to 5% in Asia. Despite the increasing levels of clinical activity in myopia control, single vision spectacles (32%) and contact lenses (7.5%) were still the most commonly prescribed methods of correction (although this is slowly decreasing), but myopic controlling spectacles are now being prescribed (15.2%) along with myopia controlling soft contact lenses (8.7%), orthokeratology (11.6%) and atropine therapy (7.2%).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This IMI White Paper was summarised by IMI Program Director Dr Nina Tahhan PhD, MPH, BOptom. A full list of the IMI taskforce members and the complete IMI white papers can be found at myopiainstitute.org. The publication and translation costs of the clinical summary was supported by donations from the BHVI, ZEISS, EssilorLuxottica, CooperVision, Alcon, HOYA, Théa, and Oculus.
REFERENCE
James S. Wolffsohn, Yasmin Whayeb, Nicola S. Logan, Rebecca Weng, the International Myopia Institute Ambassador Group*; IMI—Global Trends in Myopia Management Attitudes and Strategies in Clinical Practice—2022 Update. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2023;64(6):6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.64.6.6.
CORRESPONDENCE
Brien Holden Vision Institute Ltd
Level 4, North Wing, Rupert Myers Building, Gate 14 Barker Street,
University of New South Wales, UNSW NSW 2052
imi@bhvi.org
