Agreement in dry eye management between optometrists and general practitioners in primary health care in the Netherlands

Abstract

ABSTRACToptometrists, and 0.833, GPs). Almost no agreement was found for all the questions: a 32 statistically significant difference (Chi-square p<0.0001) was found between the 33 optometrists and GPs in the use of investigative techniques, associating symptoms, causes 34 of dry eye (p>0.0001), and dry eye symptoms, except for 'burning sensation of the eye' and 35 'irritation of the eye' as agreed symptoms, and agreement that dry eye is an age-related 36 disease. Estimates for the worldwide prevalence of DED give a range from as low as 0.1% to as high 61 as 33% [5]. In the Netherlands there is no prevalence data available, partly due to a lack of 62 consensus in defining DED. However, by using indirect measurements, an estimate of the 63 prevalence of the disease can be made. In 2013 there were 573,540 users (out of a 64 population of 17 million) in the Netherlands of prescribed artificial tears products, as 65 reported from the data bank of the Drug Information System of National Health Care 66 Institute (GIP 2013). This does not take into account the number of non-prescribed artificial 67 tears advised or patient self-management. Optometrists in the Netherlands can prescribe, 68 and advise on, over-the-counter artificial tears available on the Dutch market, and patients 69 can self-manage using over-the-counter artificial tears sold by pharmacists and drugstores. 70

In pursuit of objective dry eye screening clinical techniques

“…The importance of proper and timely distinction between healthy and affected eyes is unquestionable [ 18 – 20 ].…”

Case finding of dry eye disease in Norwegian optometric practice: a cross-sectional study

“…Optometrists are primary eye care providers, and it is essential that they efficiently identify patients who will benefit from dry eye management. Studies report significant differences in examination of dry eye patients and a potential to enhance the identification of patients at risk of DED (Downie et al, 2013;Downie et al, 2016;van Tilborg et al, 2015), consequently indicating a need to improve and standardise the examination and diagnosis of DED in optometric practice. The aim of this study was to explore case finding of DED in general Norwegian optometric practice.…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) Contact Lenses Containing Chitosan Nanoparticles as an Ocular Delivery System for Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate

“…For example, while the tolerance for lens wear is generally high, the extended wear of a hydrogel lens has been cited to lead to not only intolerance, but also to side effects such as corneal vascularisation and corneal ulceration [6]. Coupled with this, for patients with tear stability issues, contact lens wear may not be suitable and in a recent literature study by van Tilborg et al, it was stated that general practitioners ranked contact lens as second to tear deficiency for causing symptoms of dry eye [7]. With the advent of silicon-hydrogel lenses, however, many of the side effects of extended wear of contact lenses can be more readily avoided, and, as stated by Wolffsohn et al, therapeutic lenses may be useful in the treatment of some of the conditions listed [8].…”