Abstract
Purpose :
Amblyopia is the leading cause of visual loss in children and young adults, affecting up to 5% of people of all ages. Patching and atropine eyedrops successfully treat this condition. However, adherence to treatment is often poor. Current literature has identified factors impacting compliance, but less is known about successful interventions to improve adherence. This study’s purpose is to identify parent attitudes towards amblyopia treatment and barriers to treatment compliance in order to inform future provider and multidisciplinary approaches to improve adherence.
Methods :
Parents of amblyopic patients ages 0 - 9 years old were recruited from 1 pediatric ophthalmology clinic at the Oregon Health & Science University from May – December 2021. Participants were given surveys to complete in the waiting room before their child’s clinic visit. The survey assessed attitudes toward and difficulties with amblyopia treatments, specifically patching and atropine.
Results :
A total of 37 participants completed the survey; 34 of these were parents of patients currently patching for amblyopia. Boys accounted for 18 (53%) of children and the average child’s age was 5 years old (range 1 - 8). Subjective patching ease and compliance were assessed (Tables 1 and 2). Twenty-four (71%) said that their child had difficulty with how the patch feels. Twenty-six (76%) indicated that their child easily wears the patch. Nineteen (56%) reported that their experience had gotten easier over time.
Write-in responses were collected. The most commonly reported (n = 32) hardest parts of patching were keeping the patch on (9; 28%) and remembering the treatment (7; 22%). Parents (n = 34) indicated that they thought better patch designs and quality (9; 26%) and rewards (6; 18%) could help. Respondents (n = 34) used rewards (21; 62%) and flexibility with patching time (15; 44%) to help encourage their child to wear the patch.
Conclusions :
This study suggests that while most parents at our clinic found patching manageable, many had significant difficulties such as logistical issues and discomfort, which is consistent with literature. Suggestions for improvement included improved comfort in patch design and positive reinforcement. Goals for further study include linking difficulties with treatment and its duration, evaluating parent suggestions, and determining whether adjustments based on survey data improve adherence.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.