January’s OPO and why are men more likely to develop advanced glaucoma?

Author: Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MCOptom, Clinical Adviser
Date: 27 February 2017

The start of 2017 is a good time to reflect on the success of the College’s journal Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics (OPO). Like all academic publications is it ranked by its impact factor and although this ranking is not without its flaws it is a useful ball park indicator of a journal’s quality. Members should be proud of the influence and scientific regard of our publication in disseminating leading research. The most commonly used assessment of ‘quality’ is that of the Institute for Scientific Information, journal impact factor score. Over a two year period OPO was ranked 2.6 making it 15th of 56 journals in the ophthalmology category in the world. Another metrics also highly ranks OPO: Scimago ranked it first out of nine within optometry and 23rd out of 109 in ophthalmology globally. This new issue of OPO covers a wide variety of topics; here is a small selection of papers especially relevant to practicing clinicians. 

An area which affects us all in practice is examining children. A paper by McCullough et al investigates the examiner repeatability of cycloplegic retinoscopy; the paper sets out how much difference can be considered significant. Another paper by Troyer et al suggests an animated movie may be a suitable target for the measurement of phoria in pre-school children. Following the publication of a systematic review of the evidence relating to coloured overlays last summer, the topic has been widely debated by practitioners and academics alike. All agree more research on the topic would be beneficial, but that is where the common ground ends. This edition contains letters by Evans and Wilkins who set out their considered opinions about the previous review, with a subsequent response from the authors Barrett et al. 

Members should be proud of the influence and scientific regard of our publication in disseminating leading research.

This January’s edition of OPO, saw the publication of a significant piece research by Crabb et al. Their research suggests at least one in five patients in glaucoma clinics across England, referred with a visual field defect, had advanced loss  a broadly stable figure despite increasing take up of sight tests and advances in the ability to detect glaucoma. It is significant that they have found for the first time that that a man is, on average, 16% more likely to be one of those affected by the advanced loss at the time of diagnosis. This may confirm many practitioners’ anecdotal view and the stereotype that men are too casual about, and disinterested in, routine health checks. The authors point out that, although it is statistically significant and may affect future health service delivery, this finding is not large enough to have an impact individual case finding decisions.

All members have full access to OPO. 

Daniel Hardiman-McCartney FCOptom
Clinical Adviser, College of Optometrists

Daniel graduated from Anglia Ruskin University, where he won the Haag Strait prize for best dissertation. Before joining the College, he was Managing Director of an independent practice in Cambridge and a visiting clinician at Anglia Ruskin University. He has also worked as a senior glaucoma optometrist with Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, with Newmedica across East Anglia and as a diabetic retinopathy screening optometrist. Daniel was a member of Cambridgeshire LOC from 2007 to 2015 and a member of the College of Optometrists’ Council from 2009 to 2014, representing its Eastern region.  

He is Clinical Adviser to the College of Optometrists for three days each week, dividing the remainder of his time between community practice, glaucoma shared care clinics and providing consultancy to Specsavers. Daniel is a passionate advocate of the profession of optometry, committed to supporting all members of the profession and ensuring patient care is always at the heart of optometry. He was awarded Fellowship by Portfolio in December 2018.

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