National and international guidelines on screening for impaired vision in older adults in primary care
| Organization | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (current guideline, 2018) | Recommends against screening community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 yr for impaired vision in primary care settings (weak recommendation, low-quality evidence). This recommendation applies only to community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 yr who are not known to be at increased risk for impaired vision. |
| US Preventive Services Task Force (2016)36 | States that current evidence is insufficient to assess the outcome-based balance of risks and benefits of screening for visual acuity in primary care settings for the improvement of outcomes in asymptomatic adults aged ≥ 65 yr who do not present to their primary care clinician with vision problems. No recommendation made for or against screening. |
| Canadian Ophthalmological Society (2007)37 | Recommends screening in asymptomatic low-risk patients aged > 65 yr at least every two years. Patients aged > 60 yr at higher risk of visual impairment should be assessed more frequently and thoroughly; at least annually. |
| American Academy of Ophthalmology (2015)38 | Recommends comprehensive eye examination that includes visual acuity testing and dilation every one to two years for all adults aged ≥ 65 yr who are not known to be at increased risk for impaired visual acuity and do not have risk factors, or more frequently if risk factors are present. |
| Canadian Association of Optometrists (2013)39 | Recommends annual eye examination for adults aged ≥ 65 yr. |
| American Optometric Association (2015)40 | Recommends annual comprehensive eye and vision examinations for persons aged ≥ 65 yr for the diagnosis and treatment of sight-threatening eye conditions and the timely correction of refractive errors. |