Eye care professionals, and indeed their auxiliary staff, should be the first to be asked advice on matters related to eye health. As our profile is raised in the public eye, I hope this becomes increasingly so and this will help reduce the cost caused by time wasted with GPs and, in many cases, the hospital eye service dealing with these queries.
Many concerns are often driven by sensational reporting in the popular press. I can recall being asked about ‘drops that take away cataract’, a ‘new operation that cures macular degeneration’ and, recently, ‘which supplements will stop me going blind.’ If we are to do this appropriately, it is essential we offer information based on evidence-based research wherever possible.
Dyslexia is a good example of a term which, though clearly aimed at defining a group of people with specific reading problems, has often been used carelessly, if perhaps with good intentions, resulting in stigmatisation or unnecessary use of resources.
One difficulty in working with any form of behavioural trait, whether it be reading ability, language or ability or complete a certain task, is the very great number of influences upon the measurable ability. There are also difficulties in defining a set norm for any one particular individual. Perhaps most problematic of all is the risk that any study of a behaviour will itself affect the behaviour and this is difficult to control for.
This week we publish the first of three papers outlining the actual published evidence base for dyslexia knowledge and show that there is clearly underlying anatomical and physiological influences.
Do you have an idea for a clinical feature? Email the clinical