This article was originally published in a sponsored newsletter.

Between March and October 2022, more than 3,000 eyecare practitioners took an online survey that explored approaches to managing myopia across the world.¹ The survey was the third installment in a series that began in 2015.^2,3 Responses were collected from Asia, Africa, Australasia, Europe, South America, and North America.

The recently published results found that practitioners are becoming increasingly more concerned about the growing number of young myopes. In turn, the level of clinical activity in myopia management is generally rising across the world. This proactivity in the field is promising; however, practitioners have identified significant obstacles when putting their knowledge of myopia control into practice.

A clear disparity between the awareness and uptake of effective control methods was identified. Overall, combination therapy (considered here as optical plus pharmaceutical intervention) was perceived to be the most efficacious intervention method by practitioners but was the least-prescribed intervention method globally.¹ Instead, consistent with the two previous surveys, single-vision spectacles remain the most frequently prescribed optical correction for young myopes, despite being perceived as the second least-beneficial method after undercorrection.^2,3

These findings raise the question: Why are practitioners not prescribing effective approaches when they are aware of them? The number-one factor preventing practitioners from beginning myopia control was consistent across every region of every continent surveyed: the higher cost to patients.¹ The greater cost of myopia interventions plus the necessary frequent follow ups are bound to be a problem for many families, particularly where healthcare services or insurance providers do not cover the costs.

Rated closely behind was treatment availability, notably within Africa and South America. With the ever-growing evidence base supporting various optical and pharmaceutical control methods, it is imperative that the climbing prevalence of myopia is recognized as a global issue rather than limited to specific parts of the world.

Practitioners’ perspectives and insights into the reality of myopia management highlight the need for a collaborative effort between the eyecare industry and clinical practices to address these issues. Going forward, progress to meet the demand for effective control methods across the world will hopefully see a shift toward increased accessibility of myopia control options, irrespective of a young myope’s financial status or geographic location.

1. Wolffsohn JS, Whayeb Y, Logan NS, Weng R; International Myopia Institute Ambassador Group. IMI—Global Trends in Myopia Management Attitudes and Strategies in Clinical Practice—2022 Update. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2023 May 1;64:6.

2. Wolffsohn JS, Calossi A, Cho P, et al. Global trends in myopia management attitudes and strategies in clinical practice. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2016 Apr;39:106-116.

3. Wolffsohn JS, Calossi A, Cho P, et al. Global trends in myopia management attitudes and strategies in clinical practice - 2019 Update. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2020 Feb;43:9-17.