Visual Acuity (Impaired) in Older Adults: Screening

1. Studies that evaluate the effect of referrals by primary care professionals to eye care specialists for comprehensive eye examination.
2. Well-designed studies in primary care settings that evaluate new vision screening interventions, link screen-positive older adults to appropriate follow-up and care, address barriers to linkage to care, and target higher-risk populations to clarify potential benefits of screening.
3. Evidence on the effectiveness of antioxidant vitamins and minerals for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains mainly dependent on 1 large trial (AREDS). Large, well-designed trials of alternative treatment regimens designed to evaluate benefits and harms would be useful.
4. Research to understand the effects of treatment of wet and dry AMD on vision-related quality of life and function.
5. Head-to-head trials of the recently US Food and Drug Administration–approved vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) brolucizumab-dbll vs older VEGF inhibitors to verify that benefits and harms are comparable.

The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for impaired visual acuity in asymptomatic adults 65 years or older.

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