Challenges and Opportunities of Vision Screening and Refractive Error Management for Underserved Children in the United States.

Abstract

Uncorrected refractive error is a key cause of childhood visual impairment in the United States. As pediatric vision issues are often asymptomatic, vision screenings are essential to identify children's eye problems. Despite the importance of vision for children's health, well-being, and academic achievement, challenges remain in ensuring that children have equitable access to vision screenings and follow-up eye care. Children of racial and ethnic minorities experience a greater burden of myopia, while longstanding disparities in eye care access have been observed across both race and socioeconomic status. Collaborations with schools and community organizations may represent effective strategies to increase children's access to eye care in underserved communities. By providing services directly at schools, school-based vision programs have demonstrated success in addressing children's refractive error and need for eyeglasses. Future work for community-based programs may engage schools, eye care professionals, and other community stakeholders in collaborations to address children's unmet eye care needs.