Childhood Amblyopia Treatment May Pose Substantial Burden on Child, Caregiver 

Treating childhood amblyopia can pose a greater burden on the child and their family compared with the condition itself, according to a survey published in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics. 

The survey included 7 parents of children with amblyopia, 2 patient organization representatives, 1 ophthalmologist, and 1 optometrist. The research team evaluated a total of 645 posts entered on a novel virtual advisory-board platform during a 14-day period to gain insight into participants’ perspectives on how amblyopia, and strategies for managing the disorder, affect children and their families. 

The researchers report a widespread consensus that managing childhood amblyopia poses a greater burden on the child and family than the condition itself. Unsuccessful treatment outcomes increase this treatment burden, according to the report.

Parents expressed frustration concerning the duration and success of patching and the lack of available alternative treatment options. Parents also reported difficulty accessing easy-to-understand information pertaining to amblyopia and expressed a belief that a new treatment for amblyopia should be safe, non-invasive, and more engaging than an eye patch. 

Parents reported an ability to perform childhood amblyopia treatment at home, a shorter treatment duration, and engaging games with the potential to entertain their child as reasons why they would enroll their children in a clinical study for a new dichoptic binocular therapy. They also reported feeling more comfortable enrolling their children in a clinical trial for an emerging dichoptic binocular therapy if patching was unsuccessful, or if the new treatment was explored as a combination therapy alongside traditional therapy. 

“Patient perspectives and the role of caregivers in the acceptance of any interventional treatments are increasingly recognized, and should be considered when designing and implementing clinical trials for emerging amblyopia treatments,” according to the researchers. “This can serve to enhance recruitment practice, clinical trial retention and implement a methodology designed to improve patient experience, which will ultimately benefit evidence-based pediatric eye care.”

Study limitations include an overrepresentation of women among the caregiver sample and the inclusion of only 2 eye care clinician perspectives regarding childhood amblyopia.

Disclosure: This research was supported by Novartis Pharma AG. Some study authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of disclosures.