Understanding the perceived barriers and benefits to accessing treatment for presbyopia in an indigenous Filipino community

Presbyopia is the diminished capability of the eye to focus on near objects, which begins between the ages of 40-50 and accelerates with age. Sufficient near visual acuity is required for many activities of daily living. Treating presbyopia is simple; however, many rural communities lack basic eye care. The present project was undertaken to treat presbyopia in a rural Filipino population and conduct a survey of the perceived barriers and benefits of its treatment. Patients age ≥40, without anatomical visual impairment or blindness, were invited to undergo near visual acuity testing and be fitted with reading glasses. Data was collected from a subset of patients who voluntarily participated in a pilot survey of the perceived barriers and benefits of correcting presbyopia. The average uncorrected near visual acuity was 20/50-. Upon the application of reading glasses most patients achieved a near visual acuity of 20/25 or better (p<0.001). Although two thirds of patients stated that they had previously owned reading glasses, roughly half had never seen an eye care professional and most cited cost as a significant barrier. Over 95% of the study population could read and improved reading ability was cited as the most important benefit of reading glasses. No previous investigation has systematically documented the challenges that patients with presbyopia face in their daily routine. Based upon our pilot data, we are deploying a more comprehensive survey to better understand the structural and financial barriers, as well as the impact of our intervention on quality of life.