A survey of pediatric visual assessment by optometrists in New South Wales.
BACKGROUND
The importance of early vision care in the prevention and treatment of amblyopia is clear from an abundance of literature on visual development. Optometrists possess the necessary skills to detect and manage amblyogenic factors and thus have an important role to play in paediatric visual assessment and management. The present study investigates the role that optometrists in New South Wales are taking in paediatric vision care and the methods and strategies used in this role.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to 400 optometrists practising in New South Wales; 179 completed questionnaires were returned.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings reveal a number of associations between practice characteristics (such as location) and the management of paediatric patients. In general, practitioners in rural locations, in full-time practice or self-employed were more likely to treat patients and less likely to refer them elsewhere than those in city locations, in part-time practice or employed by others. In addition, our findings suggest the possibility of a changing pattern of collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists in the management of paediatric patients.
Suttle
Catherine M
CM
School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
Wong
Reginald
R
Anderton
Philip J
PJ
Kim
Hanna J
HJ
Kim
Joanne D
JD
Lee
Michelle Y
MY
D015858:Anisometropia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D009907:Optometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013285:Strabismus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015351:Vision Screening