An Evidence-Based Guideline for the Frequency of Optometric Eye Examinations

Background: Visual impairment has been recognized as a global health problem. Periodic optometric eye examinations have long been recognized as the “backbone” of strategies to prevent vision loss and blindness. The purpose of this study was to develop a frequency of eye examinations guideline for typical optometric eye examinations in Canada using the best available evidence. Methods: Guideline development involved: (1) an online search to identify existing evidence-based eye examination guidelines; (2) a literature review to identify studies investigating eye examination frequency and visual outcomes, and eye disease and refractive error epidemiology; (3) critical evaluation of the available evidence; (4) development of a draft guideline; (5) a workshop for optometric experts to appraise (and revise, where necessary) the draft guideline; and (6) an external review of the guideline by optometric patients and experts. The AGREE II Instrument and the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method were used to guide the development process. Results: Through synthesis of the literature review, expert workshop, and external review, the following guideline is recommended: infants and toddlers should undergo their first eye examination between the ages of 6 and 9 months; preschool children should undergo at least one eye examination between the ages of 2 and 5 years; school children aged 6 to 19 years should undergo an eye examination annually; adults aged 20 to 39 years should undergo an eye examination every 2 to 3 years; adults aged 40 to 64 years should undergo an eye examination every 2 years, and; adults aged 65 years or older should undergo an eye examination annually. Conclusion: The purpose of this guideline is to inform individuals who are either asymptomatic or have symptoms they do not recognize as being eye-related. Therefore, this guideline is meant to aid in the early detection of visual disorders in order to prevent or reduce future vision loss. *Corresponding author: Barbara E. Robinson, PhD, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada, Tel: (519) 888-4567; Fax: (519)725-0784; E-mail: [email protected] Received June 04, 2012; Accepted August 01, 2012; Published August 03, 2012 Citation: Robinson BE, Mairs K, Glenny C, Stolee P (2012) An Evidence-Based Guideline for the Frequency of Optometric Eye Examinations. Primary Health Care 2:121. doi:10.4172/2167-1079.1000121 Copyright: © 2012 Robinson BE, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.