If you practice myopia management, you know that not every parent will say “yes” to treatment. Should such scenarios arise, a fallback plan is needed to increase the likelihood of a “yes,” according to those interviewed for this news item. (After all, myopia can’t be reversed, and the goal is to keep a child’s vision from getting worse.) Below, ODs share the tactics they use to reinforce the benefits of myopia correction.

Use in-office tools to educate

ECPs can illustrate to parents how myopia worsens over time by employing patient education handouts, says Jordan Hamric, OD, of Spectrum Optical in Morgantown, W. Va. Dr. Hamric also advises the use of a myopia progression calculator. These calculators can show the various management options/scenarios and help demonstrate the possible benefits of treatment over time, and several free ones can be found online.

Let the child try lenses in the office

Dr. Jason Bailey, OD, chief optometrist at Chandler Vision Center in Chandler, Ariz., says he often asks to put trial contact lenses on the eyes of the child, while the family is still in the office, as this gives the child their first experience of seeing without glasses. “When they come in the next year, and the child progressed from a -1.00 D to a -3.00 D, I’ll remind the parents about the trial lens their child tried at the last visit and suggest that it might be a good time to rethink myopia treatment,” he says.

Frame treatment as an investment, not cost

Benjamin Lickteig, OD, owner and chief optometrist of Lickteig Family Eyecare in the Greater Boston area, says cost is one of the most common reasons he hears from parents for declining myopia management. However, he says, once parents understand what the ECP is trying to do for their child and they gain a greater understanding of myopia, their mindset often changes to, “Why wouldn’t I invest in treatment for my child?” Dr. Lickteig adds, “You need to plant the seed, and hopefully it blossoms at a certain point, in six months or a year or two years, at the very least.”

Additionally, says Dr. Lickteig, consider bringing up available industry rebates, and the possibility of flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts, which can be applied to myopia management programs if applicable. These items can also be talking points if multiple children in a family need myopia control treatment.

To accentuate this point, Dr. Lickteig would tell the parent: “The sooner we intervene with your child’s myopic progression, the more your child will benefit from the treatment. Not only will they benefit from the increased clarity with the contact lenses, but we will also reduce the complications that increased myopia can cause over their entire lifetime.”

Continue education

Make sure parents have all the information they need on myopia management, even if they don’t initially say “yes,” says Dr. Hamric. For Dr. Hamric’s patients, even if they decide on single-vision glasses or contact lenses, she says she still makes sure to explain that while their child’s vision will be corrected, single-vision glasses and contact lenses aren’t as effective as myopia-specific lenses at deterring myopia progression.¹

At Dr. Lickteig’s practice, he says he always provides literature, such as educational hand-outs from the World Council of Optometry, to prospective families before the consult ends. Companies can also offer educational materials for families to learn more about their myopia treatment options, says Dr. Lickteig.

Parents might also be feeling overwhelmed and confused when first learning their child has myopia, says Dr. Hamric. Displaying patience with the family’s decision and your knowledge of the available options can help earn their trust, she explains.

A patient script for handling overwhelmed parents, says Dr. Hamric, can go like this: “I know this can be overwhelming and confusing, especially since you may not have expected that your child would need this. You don’t need to have an answer today, but if you have ever have any questions about any of the options we can use for your child’s vision, just ask.”

Customize your exit communication

When a parent says “no” to myopia treatment, Dr. Hamric considers the variables on a case-by-case basis; for instance, if a child’s vision is still fairly good, it’s best not to push the matter by being too aggressive.

In this case, Dr. Hamric would use a script like this for an older child who is still a very low myope: “Your child’s myopia hasn’t progressed over the past year, and their vision still seems relatively fine. However, if there are any changes next year, I would like to seriously discuss myopia management and its benefits for their sight.”

Get the next appointment on the books

If the parents don’t choose immediate treatment, it’s key to schedule a follow-up at three months to six months for another refraction, especially if the child seems at high risk of progression, says Dr. Lickteig. “The importance of early follow-up is especially crucial for kids at higher risk,” he says.

To convince the parents to bring their child back for a follow-up, you need to educate the parents that these are the years that myopia develops rapidly during adolescence, and if we confirm that it’s going up at the 3-6 month mark, it will confirm our suspicions and may signify to the parents that time is of the essence to slow their child’s myopic progression.

Keep the lines of communication open

Before the family leaves, make sure to give them contact information for the practice’s technician or yourself, should they have any questions that arise before their next appointment; when they do have questions, respond as quickly as possible.

“Making it known to patients that you’re available to them goes a long way,” says Dr. Hamric. OM

REFERENCE

1. Bao J, Huang Y, Li X. Spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets for myopia control vs single-vision spectacle lenses: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022:140(5):472-478. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.0401.